Publications & Documents

Teachers and in-company trainers are central to vocational education and training (VET), as they support the school-to-work transitions of learners from diverse backgrounds. VET teachers develop learners’ skills in school-based settings, while in-company trainers support learners during their time in work-based learning. Countries use different strategies to ensure an adequate supply of well-prepared VET teachers and trainers. This report focuses on two aspects: entry requirements for the VET teaching and training profession to ensure quality and consistency; and initial education and training for VET teachers and trainers to ensure that they are well-prepared when taking up their role. It draws lessons from policies and practices in Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway for developing a skilled teaching and training workforce through entry requirements and training, while maintaining sufficient flexibility.

The paper is the first in a series of two papers mapping young people’s environmental sustainability competence in EU and OECD countries that were prepared as background for the forthcoming OECD Skills Outlook 2023 publication. The papers are the results of a collaboration between the OECD Centre for Skills and the European Commission - Joint Research Centre (Unit B4) on students’ environmental sustainability competence. The second paper is titled: ‘The environmental sustainability competence toolbox: From leaving a better planet to our children to leaving better children for our planet’.

The paper is the second in a series of two papers mapping young people’s environmental sustainability competence in EU and OECD countries that were prepared as background for the forthcoming OECD Skills Outlook 2023 publication. The papers are the results of a collaboration between the OECD Centre for Skills and the European Commission - Joint Research Centre (Unit B4) on students’ environmental sustainability competence. The first paper is titled ‘Young people’s environmental sustainability competence: Emotional, cognitive, behavioural and attitudinal dimensions in EU and OECD countries.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) regularly conducts in-depth peer reviews of the energy policies of its member countries. This process supports energy policy development and encourages the exchange of international best practices and experiences. Since the last IEA review in 2017, Norway has remained a global pillar of energy security, providing the world with stable supplies of oil and gas produced in an environmentally conscious manner. Norway has updated its already ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with plans to achieve 90-95% reductions (excluding sinks) from 1990 levels by 2050. Norway has considerable work ahead to meet these ambitious targets. Since its electricity generation produces nearly zero emissions already and the country has substantially electrified its energy demand, many of the easy wins for reducing emissions have already been achieved. The remaining reductions will be more complex, challenging and costly, notably in transport and industry. Norway has many natural advantages to facilitate a successful energy and climate transition. In particular, it can be well-positioned to lead the world on new technologies for decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors, such as electric vehicles, carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen, if the right policies and incentives are put in place. In this report, the IEA provides energy policy recommendations to help Norway effectively manage the transformation of its energy sector in line with its goals.

This study assesses the implementation of the recommendations from the OECD Innovation Policy Review of Norway 2017 along four major themes: (1) Developing research communities of outstanding quality; (2) Enhancing competitiveness and innovation capacity; (3) Tackling major social challenges; and (4) Improving the governance of the science, technology and innovation system. The results of this assessment are then used to identify new opportunities for reforms in the Norwegian Long-term plan for Research and Higher Education 2023-2032. While focused on Norway, the report also provides lessons on key issues, such as the sustainable transition of advanced economies, that can be useful in other national contexts.

La Norvège a accompli des progrès sur la voie de la croissance verte au cours de la dernière décennie. Le pays est aux avant-postes dans de nombreux domaines environnementaux et investit massivement dans le développement technologique et l'innovation pour soutenir sa transition verte. À l’échelle nationale, la Norvège s’est fixé des objectifs environnementaux ambitieux dans tous les secteurs, y compris dans la lutte contre le changement climatique. Le pays a pour ambition d’atteindre la neutralité climatique à l’horizon 2030. Bien qu’il ne soit pas membre de l'Union européenne, le pays s’est employé à aligner son action sur de nombreux règlements et objectifs de l'UE, parfois même de manière plus stricte que les États membres. Toutefois, malgré ses avancées, la Norvège reste confrontée à de multiples défis, notamment en ce qui concerne sa transition vers des modes durables de consommation de même que sur le sujet de la protection de la biodiversité. Le rapport formule 30 recommandations adaptées à la Norvège pour lui permettre d’améliorer ses performances environnementales, notamment dans le domaine de la gestion de l’aménagement du territoire et de la biodiversité. Avec ce quatrième Examen environnemental de la Norvège, l’OCDE propose une évaluation indépendante, fondée sur des données factuelles, des performances environnementales du pays sur la dernière décennie. Cette version abrégée reprend le résumé, l'évaluation et les recommandations officielles du rapport publié ainsi que l’annexe avec les mesures prises pour mettre en œuvre certaines recommandations de l’Examen environnemental de la Norvège publié par l’OCDE en 2011. Le premier chapitre résume les principales tendances environnementales et évalue l’efficacité environnementale et l’efficience économique de la panoplie de mesures – budgétaires, économiques, réglementaires et volontaires – mises en place. Le deuxième chapitre propose une analyse approfondie de la gestion de l’aménagement du territoire et de la biodiversité en Norvège. Le rapport complet est disponible en version anglaise sur le site internet de l'OCDE.

Norway, like a number of other countries, saw steep growth in house prices during the pandemic. This added to past years of strong price increases and has brought renewed concern for housing affordability. Tax advantages to buying homes inflate house prices, contribute to wealth inequality and divert resources from more productive investments. An underdeveloped rental market is an additional consequence of Norway’s pro-homeownership policies. Beyond tax reform and targeted support for low-income households, including renters, lasting improvements in affordability will require measures to enhance the responsiveness of residential construction to increased demand. However, creating room for new housing supply can involve difficult trade‑offs with environmental and other policy objectives.

Trust in public institutions is a cornerstone of the Norwegian administrative and political model. It has also been a crucial element in Norway’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Preserving and strengthening this 'trust capital' will be essential for Norway in addressing future trade-offs and challenges, such as ensuring the sustainability of the welfare model, coping with climate change and maintaining social cohesion. Based on the results of the OECD Survey on Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions and using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, this study examines the main determinants of trust in Norway’s national government, local government and public administration.

This profile provides a concise and policy-relevant overview of health and the health system in Norway as part of the broader series of the State of Health in the EU country profiles. It provides a short synthesis of: the health status in the country; the determinants of health, focussing on behavioural risk factors; the organisation of the health system; and the effectiveness, accessibility and resilience of the health system. This edition has a special focus on the impact of COVID‑19. This profile is the joint work of the OECD and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, in co-operation with the European Commission.

Infrastructure investment has been at the forefront of the political debate for more than two decades. Despite decades of theoretical study and experimentation in practice, 'how to' actually procure infrastructure still lacks a complete and evidence-based guide, relying heavily on subjective perception and judgement. Procurement strategy mistakes can substantially increase the cost of infrastructure, delay its delivery, or reduce its quality and value to the public. The OECD has trialled a new evidence- based tool to inform procurement decisions on major projects called Support Tool for Effective Procurement Strategy or STEPS. The tool was applied toon two major road projects in Norway. STEPS can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public procurement of infrastructure and beyond. It should improve the Value for Money propositions of both traditional and privately financed infrastructure projects. It is also an effective tool against bid rigging, the effects of abnormally low bids, and corruption in public procurement. Because the procurement choices of the public sector impact the market structure of the infrastructure supplier market, it could be considered an instrument of implicit market regulation, working against market concentration. STEPS thus supports a range of OECD recommendations and G20 positions on infrastructure governance, private investment in infrastructure, and procurement in general.