The Government presented a new, updated NSDS – The Norwegian Strategy for Sustainable Development – in the National Budget 2008. It has later been updated in 2011. The intention behind the strategy is to guide sustainable development efforts by the authorities, municipalities, NGOs, companies and individuals. It is also intended to mobilise support for joint efforts.

The strategy focuses on how Norway can contribute to sustainable development globally and achieve sustainability nationally. Clear objectives and appurtenant indicators is important in order to make challenges visible, and to raise support for necessary measures. Norway’s SD strategy focuses on seven policy areas covering environmental, economic and social challenges:

1. International cooperation to promote sustainable development and combat poverty
2. Climate change, the ozone layer and long-range air pollution
3. Biodiversity and cultural heritage
4. Natural resources
5. Hazardous chemicals
6. Sustainable economic and social development
7. Sami perspectives on environmental and natural resource management.

As part of the process of developing the new strategy, the Norwegian Ministry of Finance initiated a peer review of the Norwegian NSDS. It was conducted by a group of Swedish experts, with support from a representative from Uganda on trade and aid. The group delivered its report "A Peer Review of Norway's Policy for Sustainable Development" in 2007. The report has been supplemented with a foreword by the Minister of Finance and a short summary (pp 11-13) that describes how the recommendations from the review team is followed up in the new strategy. 

A summary of the peer review process was distributed at the ESDN Conference 2007 in Berlin.

In the process of revising the NSDS in 2011, stakeholders were invited to comment on to what extent the current way of reporting on SD had an appropriate form with respect to the need of local government, NGOs, industry and the public. Moreover, stakeholders were asked whether the reporting and selected indicators at the time reflected new knowledge on central areas of development. Finally, the revision also invited stakeholders to reflect on the discussion of indicators for well-being.  Nearly 40 organisations gave written comments during the process.

Report on Policy Coherence for Development 2016

The report analyses the effects of Norwegian policies on development as they relate to each of the targets under SDG 16 on Peaceful and Inclusive Societies. The main objective of Norway’s development cooperation is to assist developing countries in promoting their own economic and social development. Norwegian policy in areas that are not targeted at development is primarily intended to promote Norway’s own welfare and security. Nevertheless, policy in these areas can also have repercussions for living conditions in poor countries and for global issues that affect all countries. Policy coherence for development means that when promoting national interests, Norway should seek to avoid undermining development in poor countries, and – where possible – to enhance development in these countries. This involves identifying and realizing synergies between development policy and other national and foreign policy. Policy coherence for development also increasingly involves ensuring that national policies promote global public goods that benefit all countries, not least the poorest, for example in the area of climate change and the environment.