In 2003, Norway consumed 1.78 quadrillion Btu of total energy* in 2003. Owing to the availability of cheap domestic energy, Norway has fostered the development of many energy-intensive industries; as a result, the energy intensity of the Norwegian economy, 15,600 Btus per dollar of GDP** in 2002, is second only to Iceland as the highest amongst the 25 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Norway is a signatory of the Kyoto Protocol, and as an Annex I country, it has agreed to decrease its Carbon dioxide emissions to 1 percent above its 1990 levels during the 2008-2012 commitment period. The country emitted 45.0 million metric tons (Mmt) of carbon dioxide in 2003, which was 33 percent above the 1990 level of 33.8 Mmt.