There are many different plans to reduce carbon emission in Norway, such as no tax on electric vehicles or a stop to non-electric cruise ships in the fjords. A brand new idea that might actually make it into reality is a proposed total ban to all non-electric vehicles in Oslo city.
The proposal takes place within Oslo’s “Ring 2”, which is basically the main city center. If the proposal passes, heavy vehicles could be banned as soon as 2025, with regular vehicles slated for a total ban in 2027.
Oslo has been the leading city in Norway when it comes to reducing its carbon emission, and take this task very seriously. Many of the proposals and changes within Oslo have faced public backlash, and many people fear that Oslo is “taking it too far” with their changes.
That does not stop the Oslo city counsel though, and they were the only city in Norway to achieve the goal of not increasing the emissions from 2021 to 2022.
Their newest proposal could severely affect the lives of residents in the city, by essentially only allowing those that own an electric vehicle to drive in the city.
Read more: What driving in Oslo is like.
Waiting on the government to legally allow Oslo to implement the zero-emission zone
The only thing that is currently holding Oslo back from actually implementing the proposal is the state government. They are currently working on plans that will make it legal for municipalities to implement “zero-emission zones” within their municipality.
But as with all things political, it takes time to get this done, so for now Oslo is waiting on the government before they can actually make the proposal a reality. And it’s not a guarantee that the government will actually implement the change, seeing as it will have a big impact on many people.
There is even a discussion regarding whether or not it’s even legal for the politicians to implement a ban like this.
Bergen is also waiting on implementing a zero-emission zone within its city center, but the have not made any official announcements as to when and exactly where the zone will be. And just like Oslo, they will need for the government to make it possible first.
Certain groups are proposed to get exempts from the ban
Banning all non-electric vehicles from the city center is Oslo might sound like an extreme measure to some, and to ease the change a bit, the city counsel has proposed to also make a few exceptions to the ban:
- All residents within the “Ring 2” zero-emission zone will have an exception until 2032.
- Emergency service vehicles (like police cars, ambulances and fire trucks) will are exempt.
- People with legal disability cards for their vehicle (HC card) are exempt.
Nicklas is the owner and editor of The Norway Guide, and is responsible for most of the content on the website.
He lives in Skien, Norway with his wife and two children. Nicklas is specialized in Norwegian ecology (including Norway’s geology, wildlife and flora) from his degree in Ecology And Nature Management at University of South-Eastern Norway, but has a particular interest in tourism and content creation.
His biggest hobbies are fishkeeping, going on hikes with his dog, and rooting for the local football team.