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Norway's main forestry policy objectives are to create value through sustainable and profitable forestry operations. It also places a priority on improvement of infrastructure so as to create sustainable forests; as such, Norway continues to increase planting of new forests. The expenditure on forest road more than doubled during the review period. New planting after harvesting has seen significant increases in recent years, reaching a growth of 8% in 2016, and 38% since 2012. As such, Norway has been working towards increased sustainable harvesting of its forests.

Norway has increased its emphasis on climate policy targets in the forest policy, aiming at increasing forest carbon stocks and the supply of environmentally friendly raw materials from forests. In 2016, Norway implemented economic support schemes for new mitigation actions in the forest sector. The main measures are increased plant density on sites identified for regeneration, enhanced breeding of forest seedlings, and forest fertilization to promote forest growth.

As part of its policies to increase absorption of CO2 emissions, Norway has recently encouraged the use of fertilizers to promote forestry growth. In 2016, over 8,000 hectares of forests were fertilized through a fertilizer subsidy covering 40% of the costs. Other developments have been measures to increase forest density by increased plant density on sites identified for regeneration and improving transport infrastructure for forests. The expenditure on forest roads more than doubled during the review period.

Norway's recent white paper on Growth in Competitive Forestry (2016-17) incorporates the main findings of SKOG22 and transmits these as a government policy to the Storting. While it contains many of the same elements of SKOG22, it states commitments the Government intends to follow with respect to forestry, including: (...) development of forest resources and use as climate measures; improvements to research and education; promotion of the use of wood in construction and for biofuels; (...)

The Norwegian Environment Agency has, in conjunction with the Agriculture and Food Agency, initiated a three-year pilot project for planting new forest areas as climate measures for increased absorption and reduction of CO2 emissions. Certain counties in Norway were selected for the pilot project during 2015-18, and the scheme will be evaluated in 2018. The measures have been financed by the Ministry of Climate and Environment.

In September 2014, the New York Declaration on Forests was signed by Norway and a number of other governments, as well as certain NGOs and private companies (including some Norwegian companies). The non-binding political declaration aims to cut natural forest loss in half by 2020 and end it by 2030. [44] As part of the UN Climate Summit, Norway pledged to "work with other consumer countries to promote national commitments that encourage deforestation-free supply chains, including through public procurement policies, and to sustainably source commodities such as palm oil, soy, beef and timber." [45] In 2016, Norway's Government took more concrete steps to commit to zero deforestation by joining the non-binding Amsterdam Declarations, as one of seven European countries. In the declaration, the parties declare their intent to support the private sector goals of sourcing 100% sustainable palm-oil and for deforestation-free supply chains of relevant products by 2020 (see Section 4.1.2.3 on biofuels and policy).

[44] UN Climate Change online information. Viewed at: http://www.un.org/climatechange/summit/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/07/New-York-Declaration-on-Forest-%E2%80%93-Action-Statement-and-Action-Plan.pdf.
[45] Rainforest Foundation Norway online information. Viewed at: http://www.regnskog.no/en/news/norwegian-state-commits-to-zero-deforestation-1.

Norway's "Nature for Life", national biodiversity action plan (2015-16), contains the Government's policy for safeguarding biodiversity in Norway. [46] The white paper outlining the plan to the Storting identifies the main policies as: more clearly targeted nature management, climate-resilient nature management, strengthening municipal expertise on biodiversity, safeguarding threatened species and habitats, long-term conservation of a representative selection of Norwegian nature, knowledge-based management, and adaptation of tools and instruments to different ecosystems. [47] The Government considers that any intensification of forestry involving an increase in timber harvesting, as a result of the policies and measures for increasing value creation from forestry, should be combined with stronger environmental measures in forestry. The Nature for Life was followed up by the White Paper on "Growth in Competitive Forestry 2016". In 2018, the Government plans to outline measures for increased care of key biotopes and more mapping to ensure better management of mature forests.

[46] Regjeringen online information. Viewed at: https://www.regjeringen.no/en/dokumenter/meld.-st.-14-20152016/id2468099/sec1.
[47] Regjeringen online information. Viewed at: https://www.regjeringen.no/contentassets/902deab2906342dd823906d06ed05db2/en-gb/pdfs/stm201520160014000engpdfs.pdf.

Norway has placed an emphasis in recent years on the development of its bioenergy sector. The forests in Norway are the most significant source of bioenergy through the burning of wood, wood chips, and pellets. Norway mainly imports liquid biofuels produced from crops such as rapeseed, palm oil and corn. Norway commenced a strategy or plan for bioenergy in 2003 and, in 2008, further developed it and proceeded with an ambitious goal of doubling the level of bioenergy production by 2020. A number of government policies support the bioenergy sector as well.

Policy considerations for bioenergy in Norway are a joint effort of the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, and the Ministry of Climate and the Environment. In 2003, Norway created a Bioenergy Programme under Innovation Norway to support the development of small-scale bioenergy supply. The Programme has so far supported the establishment of nearly 2,000 bioenergy heating facilities capable of producing 384 GWh. In 2017, the Programme's budget amounted to NKr 67 million. At the same time, the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy's Enova finances larger scale projects, such as district heating.

Government policies on a number of fronts have served to increase demand for biofuels. The Government has put forward a ban on the use of fossil oil for heating of buildings from 2020. The regulation has been through an ESA-notification process in accordance with the EEA agreement, and the regulation will now be officially adopted in domestic legislation. The ban covers the use of oil for both main heating (base load) and additional heating (peak load), in residential buildings, public buildings and commercial buildings. Biofuels are one of several alternative non-fossil sources of heating in buildings. Norway promotes the use of biofuels in transport through a biofuels quota obligation. From October 2015, biofuels sold above the quota obligation are not covered by the road usage tax. Exemption from tax on CO2 and road tax implies an incentive for biofuels of about NKr 2,000 per tonne CO2.