Norway
 Norway’s “doomsday” seed vault, built to protect millions of food crops from climate change, wars and natural disasters. (AP Photo/John McConnico) |
In 2009, Norway pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emission levels by 40 percent of 1990 levels, stepping beyond the EU’s pledge to cut emissions by 20 percent. The country has a few means of achieving these goals; for one, Norway has some of the highest gasoline prices in the world, the result of hefty taxes on petroleum. Norway also has the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, which the government is using to research sustainability. Ironically, the fund is largely the result of the country’s oil wealth.
Each US state currently taxes gasoline — Pennsylvania’s tax is highest — but nowhere near the levels Norwegians are used to. According to the World Bank, while Americans pay roughly $3.67 per gallon at the pump, Norwegians pay $9.57. |
