Loftslagsferlum

Loftslagsferlum is a term used in Icelandic public discourse to refer to regulatory gaps and allowances in policies designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It describes mechanisms that may enable some actors to avoid reducing emissions directly or to misrepresent progress, thereby weakening the credibility of climate targets. There is no formal legal definition; it is primarily used in media and policy debates to label perceived gaps.

The word is a compound built from loftslag, referring to climate/greenhouse environment, and ferlum, a policy term for loopholes or gaps in regulation. It is used primarily in debates about national climate policy and international commitments.

Common forms discussed as loftslagsferlum include the use of carbon offset schemes that count credits instead of real reductions, temporary exemptions or phased-in targets, double counting of reductions across sectors, and reliance on imported credits. Critics argue that such mechanisms inflate apparent progress while domestic emissions remain high.

Supporters contend that carefully designed exemptions and market-based measures can accelerate decarbonisation by directing capital and expertise to hard-to-abate sectors, while maintaining energy security and competitiveness. The term is often deployed in NGO reports, media coverage, and parliamentary discussions to call for greater transparency and tighter rules.