Running out of excuses? Norwegian political and policy discourses justifying oil and gas development in the Arctic

Abstract

In this article, we analyse how energy security are woven into political discourses among Norwegian policymakers after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the consequences of this for intergenerational justice and environmental concerns more broadly. Preceding justifications centred on state revenue and domestic economic growth, the current discourse focuses on the European need for security of supply, and energy commodities in particular. The recent development has established a discourse we call “Drilling for European Energy Security”. Through a securitized narrative building on Russian aggression, European needs are constructed as arguments for increasing the tempo of Norwegian oil and gas production, as well as intensifying exploration. By employing the intergenerational justice lens, the article exposes this approach as disconnected from the needs of domestic and European consumers, i.e., energy services. Furthermore, we analyse narratives regarding the recently approved electrification of the Snøhvit field in the Barents Sea, and how policymakers have co-opted what was initially regional counterarguments against the electrification. We argue that this exposes the policymakers dedication to continue the long-standing narrative based on ‘clean oil and gas’, perceived as contributing to secure both civil legitimacy and competitiveness in the international oil and gas market.