The global mean temperature has risen since measurements started at the end of the 1800s, and most rapidly in the past 50 years. The impacts on both people and the environment may be serious.

We are using more and more chemicals in a wider variety of products. Some of them may have serious impacts on health and the environment.

The state of the environment in Norway is closely linked to the state and development of the environment in other countries. International cooperation is therefore necessary to solve many of today's environmental challenges. Cooperation should be based on the "precautionary principle" and the principle of not exceeding the critical loads of nature.

Noise is the environmental problem that affects the largest number of people in Norway. Almost half a million Norwegians experience annoying or highly annoying noise levels outside their homes.

Nine out of ten Norwegians take part in some form of outdoor recreation, but the emphasis has shifted over the years from practical activities such as hunting and fishing to purely leisure pursuits such as walking, cycling and swimming.

We are all surrounded by radiation. Most of this is natural radiation from the sun and from naturally occurring radioactive materials in the bedrock and soil. However, both our own behaviour and industrial activities can increase our exposure to different forms of radiation.

The cultural heritage provides a physical record of our history. Historical buildings, burial mounds and cultural environments yield information about people’s lives and activities throughout history.

The polar regions can no longer be seen as untouched wilderness, although Antarctica is still less affected by human activity than anywhere else in the world. In the Arctic, the climate is already changing noticeably, and the annual mean temperature has been rising about twice as fast as in other regions in recent decades.