The Area Neutrality Committee was appointed by the Norwegian Government on 7 August 2026 and is tasked with submitting an Official Norwegian Report (NOU) by the end of 2027. The purpose of the report is to provide knowledge on how area neutrality can be operationalised at the national level in order to better protect nature and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while accommodating other important societal objectives, such as renewable power production and power transmission lines.
An unofficial translation of the terms of reference is provided below.
Terms of Reference for the Area Neutrality Committee
Each year, approximately 35-40 km² of natural areas are lost to development in Norway. According to the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre and the Norwegian Environment Agency, this development, together with other forms of land-use change, constitutes the greatest negative impact on Norwegian nature. At the same time, the loss of natural areas to development results in greenhouse gas emissions.
The conversion of natural areas is decided mainly by the municipalities and is characterised by a high number of individual cases. When each individual conversion is assessed in isolation, there is a risk that the cumulative burden on nature is not taken into account.
Area neutrality entails considering loss of nature and nature-positive measures in conjunction. The purpose of the report is to provide knowledge on how area neutrality can be operationalised at the national level in order to better protect nature and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while accommodating other important societal objectives, such as renewable power production and power transmission lines.
Operationalisation of area neutrality will be something new in Norway, and the consequences for society are not clear. An expert report, which also clarifies incentive structures and goal conflicts in land-use policy, is therefore necessary before the Government can consider operationalising area neutrality at the national level.
The Committee is requested to assess:
The current situation and challenges
- The current extent of conversion of natural areas in relation to the value of different development purposes from an socioeconomic perspective, and which incentive structures and goal conflicts, as well as any structural problems, contribute to this development.
- Existing incentives for nature restoration and the extent to which the conversion of natural areas is offset by restoration.
Definitions and operationalisation of area neutrality
- Different definitions of national area neutrality, including which areas may be included in the concept, how converted land may be offset against restored or reinstated land, and which plans and measures, actors and purposes may be covered.
- Different ways of operationalising national area neutrality, including assessments of a target for area neutrality as opposed to a requirement for area neutrality, as well as the relevant time perspective.
- Existing and new policy instruments that may contribute to the fulfilment of possible national operationalisations of area neutrality.
- How area neutrality and development of natural areas may be measured over time, including other target formulations and approaches for limiting the development of natural areas.
Effects of area neutrality on other societal objectives
- How different operationalisations of area neutrality will affect important societal objectives and value creation, and whether adaptations for certain development purposes are appropriate.
- How a target for area neutrality will affect municipal discretion in general, and the municipalities’ responsibility for planning under the Planning and Building Act.
- How different operationalisations of national area neutrality may affect the achievement of the soil protection target and other production areas in agriculture, including areas for forestry, reindeer husbandry and grazing.
Conditions
- The report shall be prepared in accordance with the Instructions for Official Studies and Reports, including, inter alia, an assessment of the benefits and costs of different ways of operationalising national area neutrality.
- The Committee shall assess whether a target for area neutrality is appropriate, not only how such a target should be designed.
- The report shall be based on the premise that a target for area neutrality shall not restrict the development of renewable power generation, power transmission lines, defence purposes and critical digital infrastructure, cf. the principle of prioritised development purposes in Meld. St. 35 (2023-2024) Report to the Storting (white paper).
- The Committee shall consider the overall use of policy instruments to reduce the rate of development of natural areas, including taxes and charges, the use of existing instruments in the planning system, and the processing of licences under sector-specific legislation.
- The Committee’s work is limited to the geographical area of application of the Planning and Building Act; Svalbard is excluded.
- The Committee shall take as its starting point the operationalisation of area neutrality at the national level.
- The Committee shall assess the consequences that proposals for different models of area neutrality will have for municipalities, both in their role as land-use authorities and with regard to local political discretion. The assessment must take account of different regional conditions.
- The report shall be based on existing or readily available data and knowledge and shall emphasise relevant links to nature accounts.
- The Committee shall facilitate input from relevant expert environments and private and public actors, including municipalities and the County Governors.
- The Committee shall base its work on the principles for central government governance of the municipal sector, cf. the guide Central Government Governance of Municipalities and County Municipalities issued by the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.
- The report shall build on relevant knowledge from other countries.
The Committee shall submit an Official Norwegian Report (NOU) by the end of 2027.
Members of the Area Neutrality Committee
The Committee consists of experts from across Norway with expertise in local government, business, nature conservation, law, and economics.
Committee Chair
Øystein Dørum, Economist, Oslo
Committee Members
Ingunn Elise Myklebust, Professor, Bergen
Christian Steel, Director of Research, Oslo
Sigrid Simensen Ilsøy, Mayor, Dagali
Atle Simonsen, Head of Communications, Stavanger
Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson, Professor, Ås
Mari Elina Hakala, PhD candidate, Varangerbotn
Trond Simensen, Senior Researcher, Trondheim
Ståle Navrud, Professor, Drøbak
Geir-Harald Strand, Special Adviser, Ås