Norway

This chapter provides Norway profiles which includes key information about the relevant corporate sustainability and responsibility (CSR) history, country-specific issues, trends, research, education and leading organizations. The Norwegian approach to CSR has to be seen in the context of the Nordic welfare model where some key elements are egalitarian values, equal distribution of income, low poverty, income maintenance and good healthcare and education services. Major Norwegian enterprises and business federations have shown a growing attention to CSR. The Norwegian government's 2007 White Paper on climate policy contains various proposals for concrete measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Norwegian government expects enterprises to respect fundamental human rights, including the rights of children, women and indigenous peoples, in line with international standards and conventions. In fact, all Norwegian political parties except one agreed on an improved national policy on climate change issues, with the goal of Norway as a carbon-neutral country by 2030.