Policy landscape

Oslo’s climate policy focusses primarily on emissions reductions. It implicitly integrates carbon dioxide removal (CDR) to meet its 2030 target of a 95% emissions reduction. The city’s Climate Strategy (2020–2030) commits to “near-zero” emissions (without being more specific), and the City’s annual Climate Budget identifies carbon capture and storage (CCS) at the Klemetsrud waste-to-energy facility as one of its most important milestones. Once operational, the plant is expected to capture approximately 400,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually by 2029, of which around 50% is biogenic, making it the city’s main CDR project. By storing CO₂ in the Northern Lights infrastructure, this could deliver up to 200,000 tonnes of durable negative emissions per year, which represents about 20% of Oslo GHG emissions in 2021.

While Oslo does not have an explicit city-wide CDR strategy, it is actively exploring additional CDR-relevant interventions. The city has launched a municipal biochar pilot in the Oppsal neighbourhood, testing the integration of biochar into soils for long-term carbon storage and ecosystem co-benefits and assessing how biochar can be used in urban greening projects. Oslo’s policy framing currently treats CDR as a necessary supplement to achieve net-zero, but not yet as a standalone strategic pillar.

Oslo’s climate strategy also references the enhancement of natural sinks, such as soil and forest carbon sequestration, but recognises that the city’s limited undeveloped land constrains their scalability. Broader circular economy policies indirectly support CDR, particularly by enabling waste-to-biochar conversion and reducing fossil waste streams. Oslo’s membership in networks such as C40 and its alignment with national climate infrastructure, particularly the Longship programme and Northern Lights CO₂ storage site, create enabling conditions for scaling CDR.

Governance landscape

Oslo’s climate governance is coordinated through the Climate Agency (Klimaetaten) under the Department of Environment and Transport. The agency oversees the city’s Climate Strategy and manages the annual Climate Budget process, which integrates emissions and mitigation tracking across departments. Politically, climate falls under the Governing Mayor’s office, with the Environment and Transport Commissioner responsible for implementation.

Responsibility for CDR is distributed. Hafslund Oslo Celsio, the partly city-owned energy company operating the Klemetsrud waste-to-energy plant, leads the CCS project. The City Council has backed this with NOK 2.65 billion via its holding company Klima Oslo, ensuring public control. The project is delivered in partnership with private co-owners (HitecVision and Infranode), with state support through Gassnova and Norsk CCS and CO₂transport/storage provided by Northern Lights.

Other agencies could play future CDR roles. The Water and Wastewater Agency (VAV) may enable sludge-based projects, while the Port of Oslo is expected to host a CO₂ terminal. However, no department currently holds a dedicated CDR mandate. Governance is therefore fragmented and dependent on inter-agency coordination and external partners. While the Climate Agency has strong planning authority, CDR capacity is still emerging. The city’s climate budgeting process ensures regular reporting across sectors, and the administration has shown leadership in enabling Klemetsrud CCS. Still, without a designated lead body, broader CDR integration is likely to remain project-based rather than strategic.

Gaps and opportunities

Oslo’s current climate framework does not include a formal net-zero or climate neutrality target. While the city aims for a 95% reduction in emissions by 2030, there is no accompanying strategy to address the remaining residual emissions. The climate strategy relies almost entirely on one CCS project, with no parallel development of alternative CDR pathways. Additionally, there are no procurement frameworks for removals, no standards on permanence or additionality, and no formal inclusion of CDR in the climate budget process.The absence of a city-wide CDR strategy means that emerging or smaller-scale removal methods, such as biochar, soil carbon enhancement, or construction-based removals, remain underdeveloped. Public understanding and political visibility of CDR also remain limited, which could hinder broader societal support and long-term investment.

However, Oslo has clear assets it can build on. The upcoming CO₂ terminal at Oslo Havn, planned to handle captured CO₂ from Klemetsrud, could serve as a regional hub for removals from other biogenic sources. The city also has significant leverage through its public procurement, which could stimulate demand for verified removals and carbon-negative materials. On the land-based side, expanded use of biochar from garden waste or sewage sludge, tree planting, and soil health improvements offer modest but credible contributions to local CDR.

Core recommendations

1

Integrate CDR explicitly into Oslo’s climate strategy and climate budget, including a future net-zero or climate-positive target.

 

2

Require low-carbon materials in municipal projects.

 

3

Expand CDR pilots and research, including biochar, soil carbon, and urban greening, in partnership with local research institutions.

 

4

Maximise use of the Oslo Havn CO₂ terminal by engaging regional capture projects and industrial partners.

 

5

Designate a CDR lead within the Climate Agency to coordinate cross-sector action and support capacity-building on CDR accounting.

 

6

Develop clear and robust accounting frameworks for tracking and financing CDR activities with other Nordic cities.