Norway and the United Kingdom have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a Green Industrial Partnership. The agreement marks a new milestone in the longstanding Norwegian-British cooperation on energy and the green transition.
The Green Industrial Partnership aims to promote green industrial development, build expertise in green industries, strengthen energy security, support robust value chains for raw materials, and facilitate increased trade, investment, and innovation in low-emission sectors.
The partnership will include cooperation on carbon capture and storage (CCS), hydrogen, offshore wind, sustainable energy systems, the development of green value chains, and joint efforts in green skills development.
'Norway and the United Kingdom have a unique relationship in the energy sector, characterized by innovation and close cooperation across the North Sea. I am very pleased that today we are establishing a forward-looking partnership to promote the green transition and further strengthen the collaboration between our two countries,' says Norway’s Minister of Energy Terje Aasland.
The United Kingdom is Norway’s second-largest trading partner after the EU. Total trade in 2024 amounted to more than NOK 530 billion. Several Norwegian companies are established in the UK, including major firms such as Equinor, Statkraft, Hydro, and Yara. In total, more than 200 Norwegian companies operate in the UK, employing over 15,000 people.
'This agreement is important for Norwegian industry, especially when it comes to securing value chains for raw materials and clean energy. By combining Norwegian and British strengths, we can create jobs, develop new industries, and enhance our competitiveness,' says Minister of Trade and Industry Cecilie Myrseth.
'A green transition is crucial if we are to meet our climate targets, while also creating new jobs. The partnership with the United Kingdom will strengthen our joint efforts to promote implementation of the Paris Agreement through international climate diplomacy. We will also further develop the close cooperation we have to halt and reverse the deforestation of the rainforest,' says Minister of Climate and Environment, Andreas Bjelland Eriksen.
The agreement was signed in Oslo on Wednesday, May 7, by the UK’s Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband, Norway’s Minister of Energy Terje Aasland, Minister of Trade and Industry Cecilie Myrseth.
Background on the Norwegian-British Green Industrial Partnership
A key element of the partnership is to identify new opportunities for collaboration to strengthen global clean energy supply chains, support the development of renewable energy sources, and further develop existing cooperation on the protection of subsea infrastructure in the North Sea.
The MoU includes a commitment to hold annual meetings between Norway and the UK to monitor the progress of the partnership and discuss new initiatives.
The partnership builds on the cooperation launched in the Strategic Partnership Agreement between Norway and the United Kingdom in December 2024.
Source: Government.no
