A Ugandan climate justice activist accused Norway of “hypocrisy and lies” in a confrontational opening speech during the Scandinavian country’s flagship development conference on Tuesday.
Vanessa Nakate’s pointed words highlight a key criticism of Norway aid and climate policy: the country is one of the world’s most generous donors, but continues to relentlessly drill for oil.
“Norway often likes to portray itself as a climate leader,” Nakate told the room full of government officials, politicians, and aid workers gathered in Oslo for the daylong event. “But just last week, the Norwegian government announced its plans to offer a record number of oil exploration blocks in the Arctic … does this sound like climate leadership to you?”
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About the author
William Worley@willrworley
Will Worley is the Climate Correspondent for Devex, covering the intersection of development and climate change. He previously worked as UK Correspondent, reporting on the FCDO and British aid policy during a time of seismic reforms. Will’s extensive reporting on the UK aid cuts saw him shortlisted for ‘Specialist Journalist of the Year’ in 2021 by the British Journalism Awards. He can be reached at william.worley@devex.com.