Equinor (formerly Statoil) is only one of operators, although all of them are taxed by the state. And while two thirds of Equinor's equity are held by the state, it's a public company.
The difference is that Norway is not replying to internal demand but external demand. They have reduced their own need for fossil fuels. The issue is that other countries are extremely dependent on fossil fuels due to before stated lobbying efforts. The bigger, wealthier countries do not take climate change seriously and continue to consume high amounts of fossil fuel. They need to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels.
