New Report Reveals Majority of Voters Want Norway to Cut Back on Oil Exploration

A new national poll shows a clear shift in Norwegian public opinion: most voters want the government to rein in the country’s oil and gas industry and step up its climate efforts.

The survey, conducted by Analyse & Tall commissioned by Oil Change International, reveals that 57 percent of Norwegians believe Norway should either stop exploring for new oil and gas or slow down the pace of exploration. 

Key findings

• Broad support for a more restrictive oil and gas policy: Nearly half of respondents (43 %) believe the government should pursue a much or somewhat more restrictive oil and gas policy than in the past. Among red-green voters, support is particularly strong among those voting MDG (94%), SV (87%), and Rødt (69%), while 45% of Labour (Ap) voters agree. Only 22% of Centre Party voters share this view.
• The majority want slower or no new oil exploration: 57% think Norway should either stop exploration entirely or reduce the pace of searching for new oil and gas resources.
• Labour voters increasingly climate-minded: Two out of three Labour voters say it is important that Norway reduces its greenhouse-gas emissions.
• More than half call for a phase-out strategy: 55% believe the government should develop a national strategy for phasing out oil and gas production.

Despite this, only one in four respondents believe Norway will actually succeed in carrying out a sustainable transition away from oil and gas — highlighting a gap between ambition and perceived political will.

Silje Lundberg, North Sea Campaign Manager, said: 

The data show that Norwegians increasingly want political leadership that aligns the country’s oil policy with its climate goals. People are calling time on endless oil expansion — it’s the government that’s stuck in the past. The public clearly wants a plan to phase down oil and gas and deliver real climate leadership, not more empty talk from ministers protecting the industry.

About the survey

The poll was developed by Analyse & Tall in collaboration with Oil Change International and carried out by Ipsos in October 2025. It is based on 2,212 nationally representative responses, weighted by gender, age, and region.

Read the report here.