Climate Change Strategy.

The Strategy sets forth the Icelandic government’s five principal objectives with respect to climate change, which aim toward the realization of the Government’s long-term vision: 1) the Icelandic government will fulfill its international obligations according to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol; 2) greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced, with a special emphasis on reducing the use of fossil fuels in favour of renewable energy sources and climate-friendly fuels; 3) the government will attempt to increase carbon sequestration from the atmosphere through afforestation, revegetation, wetland reclamation, and changed land use; 4) the government will foster research and innovation in fields related to climate change affairs and will promote the exportation of Icelandic expertise in fields related to renewable energy and climate-friendly technology; 5) the government will prepare for adaptation to climate change.
Measures aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions constitute the most important aspect of the government’s climate change strategy. They encompass (i) research on the feasibility of pumping CO2 from geothermal power plants back into the earth, and (ii) measures on technology and know-how in fields related to the utilization of renewable energy resources.
To achieve the third objective (to increase carbon sequestration from the atmosphere through afforestation, revegetation, wetland reclamation, and changed land use) the strategy outlines different measures: (i) an action plan and cost estimate pertaining to increased sequestration through afforestation, land reclamation, and changed land use will be prepared; (ii) a plan will be prepared for wetland reclamation, which will, among other things, analyse its effects of emission and sequestration of greenhouse gases; (iii) work will continue on the development of a recently started project related to education on revegetation within the framework of Iceland’s developmental collaboration work.
Regarding adaptation to climate change, the strategy provides for the establishment of a scientific committee shall be established, which is to submit a report on the likely effects of climate change in Iceland in the decades to come. The committee shall also point out issues that should be considered with respect to the potential adaptation to climate changes.
The Inter-Ministerial Advisory Committee on Climate Change will work actively toward enforcing and reviewing the government’s Strategy and will follow developments in international climate negotiations. This Strategy also stipulates that two committees be appointed in order to support the government’s work on climate change issues: 1) an Expert Panel on the Reduction of Net Greenhouse Gas Emissions; 2) a Scientific Committee on Climate Changes.