While people last weekend took to the streets in protest in New York, Brasilia, Cape Town, Berlin, Oslo and throughout the entire world to demand "action, not words" regarding climate change, we can ask the question: What does the Constitution grant us the right to demand from our own Government? In May this year, Article 110b of the Norwegian Constitution became a strengthened Article 112. The debate regarding whether the provision in the Constitution relating to climate and the environment entails a duty on the state to act is therefore over. The provision now clearly stipulates that the state "must initiate measures" to ensure our right and the rights of future generations to a liveable climate and environment. This means that climate and environmental considerations are mandatory considerations in all sectors. Article 112 of the Constitution sets forth an obligation for the State to achieve results, in other words: the State must do everything in its power, everything necessary, and with all of the means it has at its disposal, to safeguard our right to a liveable climate and environment.

Climate change recognises no national borders. Norway cannot halt global warming by itself. However, Norway can do a great deal. The Norwegian State's financial muscles place us in a special position in the world. Norway has far greater possibilities for promoting a shift onto a sustainable path internationally than countries with extremely high youth unemployment and stifling budget deficits.

What does Article 112 of the Constitution mean specifically? The provision calls for a review of the State's entire "toolbox" of indirect and direct policy instruments. The State's indirect policy instruments are laws and regulations and taxes and duties. In an international research project concerning sustainable companies, we have identified opportunities for adjusting the legal infrastructure for business such that the enormous potential for conversion to renewable and environmentally-friendly operations can be released.

With regard to taxes and duties, the Government has taken an important step by establishing a new green tax commission. The green tax commission's mandate is to establish how taxation can be turned towards activities that impact on the environment and climate and to promote the development and use of environmentally and climate-friendly technology. The previous green tax commission from the 1990s did not result in any major changes. However, this new commission should. Article 112 of the Constitution is not complied with by establishing committees and commissioning reports, but by concrete actions that promote climate and environmentally-friendly activities and that restrict activities that pollute and harm the climate.