Avoiding downstream costs due to carbon emissions. Also arguable that this source of revenue in particular was small and they increased taxes to reduce purchases while maintaining same revenue levels.
You mean by selling oil and exporting those downstream carbon costs out of the country?
That's part of norways income stream. But a smaller part than you'd probably imagine.
Ironic or not - I don't think you really mean they make up any lost tax on cars by selling oil - it's not like the oil sale increases by that virtue.
another way of looking at it: realizing oil wealth is unsustainable and spending the cushion now to make the transition on their own terms instead of being forced to by climate uncertainty (annual record breaking fires, hurricanes, etc.) or market uncertainty (stranded assets).
Looks that way. Of course oil is used in the production of plastics and other useful materials as well.