Those kinds of accounting gaps and trade-offs are widespread and mask the true challenges ahead, even for well-intentioned countries like Norway, scientists and environmental groups say.
Behind Norway's green pledge lies an uncomfortable truth: though this country of 5 million is fairly eco-friendly - with, for example, high taxes of cars and fuel - as one of the world's top sources of oil and natural gas, it exports emissions all over the world. It also maintains a broad industrial base of its own.
In its recently released Climate Change Performance Index 2008, the nonprofit group Germanwatch, which is active on environmental issues, ranked Norway 16th out of 56 countries, tied with Indonesia, and well behind Sweden, Britain and Germany.
Norway has also been investing in emerging technologies, particularly carbon capture and storage, in which emissions produced by factories are stored underground. Perfecting the technique would be "Norway's moon landing," the government announced, a piece of inspirational science to benefit the world.
Most everyone in Norway applauds those moves, but that is where the cheering ends. The government has not been specific about its plans to reduce emissions at home, and that is making many nervous.
"We are very positive about dialogue with the government and very positive about reducing greenhouse gases, but we want to be very careful that industry doesn't end up a loser," said Finn Bergesen, director general of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise. "It's a good thing to set goals, but goals have to be realistic."
Recently, a Norwegian aluminum producer announced that it would open a new plant - in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. "We have some of the cleanest plants in the world, and if they close up here and pop up in China - where they will not be so clean - that's not to anyone's benefit," Bergesen said.
The one large political group that opposes the carbon neutral goal, the Progress Party, has become increasingly vocal.
"They have a goal but they don't have a plan, and for me spending money without focus on things that are merely symbolic is a problem," said Siv Jensen, the party's leader, who is sometimes mentioned as a candidate to become Norway's next prime minister.
Jensen would like more money spent on things like roads, improving Norway's recycling program and exporting knowledge of hydropower. Any further steps will not be easy.
Cars and fuel in Norway are already heavily taxed.
Other countries can close highly polluting coal-fire electricity plants as an easy first step toward reducing emissions. But Norway barely uses any coal at all. More than 95 percent of the country's electricity is from waterfalls - eco-friendly, renewable hydropower.
The main polluter in Norway is heavy industry - oil, gas, metal refining. They are, of course, the industries that have made Norway rich. Their revenues ensure high pay and good benefits here, and they help pay for reducing deforestation in Africa.
Environmental advocates say Norway should take the next step, issuing fewer permits for oil exploration, for example, and even raising gas taxes. Instead of exporting energy, Hauge suggests, Norway should use some of it domestically to create things like low-priced solar panels for use in the developing world.
RSS