Dag Terje Andersen

Dag Terje Andersen (born 27 May 1957 in Frogn, Akershus) is a Norwegian politician for the Norwegian Labour Party. In addition to professional politics he has been working at a steel mill and as a lumberjack, something that has given him a reputation for representing the average guy in politics.

He was elected into the Norwegian parliament (Storting) as a representative from Vestfold in 1997, and he was re-elected in the 2005 election.

Andersen was the Mayor of Lardal from 1987 to 1992. He was at first a political advisor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before he became Secretary of State at the Ministry of Social Affairs in 1992. He was a party secretary for the Norwegian Labour Party from 1992 until 1996.

In 1996 he became Minister of Agriculture, remaining in that post for slightly less than a year. Andersen later became Minister of Trade and Industry on 29 September 2006, when Odd Eriksen resigned.

On 8 October 2009 Andersen was elected as President of the Storting.

Norway’s Prime Minister initiates climate group on forests

Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg has announced that he will initiate a climate group consisting of the most important rain forest countries, to discuss central measures against deforestation. ”As part of our efforts to reach a binding climate agreement in Mexico in 2010, I will initiate the establishing of a group consisting of the most important rain forest countries, among them Brazil, Indonesia, Guyana, Gabon, Papua New Guinea and others”, Stoltenberg said. The Prime Minister said he will invite forest countries to meet in Oslo in the first half of 2010.The new climate group will coordinate and contribute to measures in the most important forest countries, and work to secure that the efforts against deforestation will be central in a new climate agreement.”According to the UN Climate Panel, deforestation in developing countries represents 17 per cent of the total emission of greenhouse gases. Efforts related to rain forests may lead to one third of the emission cuts needed by 2020. By reducing deforestation we may see the largest, quickest and cheapest cuts in greenhouse gas emissions”, Stoltenberg said. ”Norway will now cooperate closely with the Mexican presidency in order that we may have a binding climate agreement at the next climate conference (COP 16) in Mexico in 2010”, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said. Source:norwaypost.no/