Posted on December, 12 2001

WWF, the conservation organization, is calling on Norwegian parliamentarians to veto a proposal from their government to subsidize the expansion of Norwegian coal mining and demonstrate that their country is indeed committed to environmental protection in the Arctic.

WWF is strongly questioning the bill that will go in front of the Norwegian Parliament tomorrow, 13 December, that would provide 20 million Euro in subsidies and loans to the state-owned coal mining company Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani AS to enable it to expand its operations on the Svalbard Archipelago, the largest remaining Arctic wilderness area in Europe. This expansion will increase production eight times, from an average of 300.000 tonnes in recent years, to 2,5 million tonnes per year. The coal is to be exported, at a subsidized rate, to the European Union for use in power generating plants. Coal is the most climate-damaging energy source, and WWF believes that by subsidizing the expansion of the Svalbard mine and the use of coal, Norway would be actively working against implementation of the Kyoto Protocol.

"Given its recent Kyoto Protocol commitments, Norway should not be subsidizing coal mining and export to Europe," said Rasmus Hansson, CEO of WWF Norway. "Coal mining at this scale in the Norwegian Arctic is not only environmentally damaging � it is completely unnecessary, especially when the Norwegian Parliament has recognized Svalbard's unique natural beauty stating that it should be one of the best-managed wilderness areas in the world."

WWF points out that in addition to greatly increasing Norway�s contribution to the release of CO2 and other greenhouse gases, the mining expansion is unprofitable, does not provide many jobs, and can threaten unique arctic habitats and species. Neither Norway nor the EU need this coal. Instead, the EU needs alternative energy sources that reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. WWF is calling on the international community to criticise Norway for walking backwards into the future, and for not taking climate change seriously.

To make a profit, the state-owned company has admitted that they need to extract 2.5 million tonnes of coal per year - 50 percent more than calculated for when they did their environmental impact assessment. WWF, along with other major environmental NGOs has criticised this assessment, and is demanding that the real impacts of this plan be investigated.

WWF is also concerned that the coal will be shipped along a vulnerable coastline, where any oil spill could have disastrous effects on the polar bears, walruses, arctic foxes, beluga whales and sea birds that inhabit the area.

"This is an embarrassment for Norway. Our Christmas gift to the EU is not the impressive Christmas tree on Trafalgar Square in London, it is 2,5 million tonnes of polluting, state-subsidized coal," Mr. Hansson added.

For further information:
Rasmus Hansson, CEO WWF Norway, tel: +47 22 036514, email: rhansson@wwf.no
Olivier van Bogaert: tel: +4122 364 9554, email: ovanbogaert@wwfint.org

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