The two NATO allies vow to advance bilateral projects and shared interests.
High-level officials from the United States and Norway met on October 30to discuss, among other things, clean energy, critical minerals, and supply chain diversification at the U.S.-Norway Energy and Climate Forum. In a joint statement, the two NATO allies reaffirmed their commitments to advance bilateral projects and shared interests. Besides continued support for Ukraine amidst the ongoing Russian invasion, the two countries are committed to additional investments in the renewable energies sector to reach climate and energy transition targets.
The meeting was part of the U.S.-led Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), which includes Norway and aims to bolster critical minerals supply chains by linking mineral-rich countries with mineral-hungry countries, funneling investments into the sector while promoting high Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards. Both countries have high raw material demands, for example, in the energy sectors. Norway is Europe’s largest hydropower nation and steadily advances other renewable energy fields like wind energy. In addition, it has ambitions to expand its position as an electromobility forerunner, having the world’s largest electric vehicle number per capita. Both areas require substantial amounts of critical minerals, such as rare earths, but the Nordic country also supplies some raw materials. Norway is the leading refined cobalt exporting nation to the U.S., with approximately 20 percent, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (PDF).
Photo: iStock/Oleksii Liskonih
