Climate policy integration the Norwegian way: Content analysis of steering signals and instructions to the government’s directorates

This paper draws on work conducted for the 2050 Climate Change Committee for Norway. We have examined the allocation letters for the government’s directorates, in order to map to what extent and how work on climate and emission reductions is included in the instruction of the directorates. The examination has been carried out as a quantitative content analysis of all allocation letters to the directorates in 2022, supplemented by a qualitative analysis of allocation letters and steering instructions to a selection of directorates. Theoretically, we draw on literature on policy implementation and climate policy integration and related concepts such as environmental policy integration and policy coherence. The quantitative analysis shows that there are substantial differences in the ministries’ instructions regarding climate and emission cuts in the allocation letters to the underlying directorates. Some ministries have few or no relevant keyword search results. This applies in particular to the Ministry of Employment and Inclusion, the Ministry of Children and Families, and the Ministry of Education. On the other hand, the Ministry of Culture and Equality, the Ministry of Trade and Fisheries and the Ministry of Transport stand out with uniform instructions that are repeated in the various allocation letters, in the form of standard phrases on emission reductions. The other examined ministries fall within these margins. There is also variation within one and the same ministry’s respective allocation letters to different directorates. The qualitative analysis indicates that in the sectors where there are clear conflicts between sector targets and climate targets, climate action instructions are unclear or absent. This applies in particular to the oil and gas sector and the agricultural sector. In the road sector, there are also conflicting sector and climate targets, but here relatively clear instructions are given about the sector’s responsibility for emission reductions and contribution to meeting the climate targets. These differences indicate that it is not only conflicting sector and climate targets that are decisive for the instructions on climate action, but also differences among the ministries regarding the priority given to climate policy steering signals in their instructions to different directorates. Within transport, the National Transport Plan has proven to be an important guide for reporting on greenhouse gas emissions. Overall, results from both the qualitative and the quantitative analysis show that there is great variation both within the ministries and between the ministries’ emphasis on climate change and emission reductions in allocation letters and instructions to underlying directorates. Despite the significant attention given to the need for climate action among policymakers, Norway still has a long way to go to achieve climate policy integration in various sectors.