Temperature
The reason why we may not have reacted to the crisis earlier, is that we appreciate that the temperature has risen in this cold country. In 2006 the mean temperature in Norway was 1.8°C above the average. In the Arctic areas of Norway the deviations are still larger. At Svalbard Airport on Spitsbergen the mean temperature was 5°C above normal, which is the highest mean temperature ever registred on Svalbard.

Climate change will continue despite the measures being implemented to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Recently developed scenarios of climate change in Norway suggest that in the next 110 years, the temperature will rise by 2.5–4 degrees, precipitation will rise by 10–15 per cent, and the growing season will become 3–6 weeks longer.

Changes already apparent in Norway:

• warmer summer and less snow in the winter
• a record-high retreat of glaciers in 2006
• migratory species of birds are arriving earlier in spring
• animals are reaching sexual maturity more quickly
• production and reproduction rates are higher
• trees are coming into leaf earlier
• salmonids leaving rivers for the sea are younger
• the spawning areas used by fish in the sea are changing

This Meris acquisition shows a plankton bloom, just off the norwegian coast. The sharp shapes of the narrow inlets of the sea, called fjords, are clearly visible. From north to south (on the image) lie the Rovdefjorden, Sognafjorden and the Bjørnafjorden and Bømlafjorden around the area of Bergen at the bottom of the image. 
Acquistion: 10-Jun-2006 (Image courtesy of European Space Agency)

Predicted future change in Norway
Scenarios indicate that we must expect changes in all habitat types as a result of future climate change.

• terrestrial and aquatic species will shift northwards, and new species will arrive
• overgrowing of open habitats will speed up, reduse the diversity of landscapes, views are lost and landscapes becomes less accessible, which will make Norway less interesting for tourists
• higher summer temperatures in Southern Norway
• higher snowfall in the mountains and higher precipitation, that will make a risk of flooding and erosion
• the world oceans will rice will 19-58 cm in 100 years, but the Norwegian coast line will rise 10-20 cm above that
  bark beetles can double their reproduction during the summer, this distroys the trees

You can read more about the state of the environment of Norway on the following website: http://www.environment.no