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Ten organizations are taking action against passive EU support for agriculture

If we are to have a green transition in agriculture, the passive EU support for agriculture must be changed. This is proposed by ten green organizations that have together built a Model for how the support can be distributed in the new CAP period after 2027. The organizations want to have changed the agricultural support so that it will be distributed based on the results that individual farms show through a climate account, a nitrogen account, a nature index and an animal welfare index. The better the results, the higher the payment and vice versa.

The model speaks to what the government has written into its government foundation, where they propose to "redistribute agricultural support so that less is used as direct hectare support and more is used for, for example, climate, environmental and nature initiatives, regenerative production, organic production, development of local and small-scale agriculture."

Together, the 10 organizations have now sent the model to Minister for Nature and Animal Welfare Christian Rabjerg Madsen and to the rapporteurs in the field. This is done with a call to start negotiations on the Danish implementation of agricultural support from after 2027 and seven years ahead.

"It is crucial for agriculture and the green transition that it is economical to take care of our environment and the animals in agriculture. We can use the many billions in agricultural support to help with this. If agricultural support is distributed according to our model, it will become much more attractive to give animals a life in the field, cultivate your land without the use of synthetic pesticides and ensure that there is also room for the lark and its other friends out in the field. This could potentially turn the price ratio in the supermarket around, so that consumers will experience that the organic and most sustainable foods will be the best buy for them," says Sybille Kyed, head of agricultural and food policy at the Organic Danish Association.

"Today, we spend a very large part of agricultural support on paying farmers according to how much land they farm. Instead, we will use the funds much more actively to support the sustainable development of our food production. We propose to reverse the logic: Agricultural support should reward those farmers who make an extra effort for animals, nature and our common environment. Better animal welfare should simply be able to trigger more support," says Sophie Hastrup Christensen, chief agricultural policy consultant at Dyrenes Beskyttelse.

"In the future, agricultural support must be used for the transformation of agriculture and not for the continuation of agriculture with excessive environmental impact. We must get nature, the aquatic environment, climate and animal welfare for the money," says Morten Ejrnæs, nature and agricultural policy advisor, Danish Nature Conservation Association.

“Future agricultural support should, in addition to promoting nature and ecology, be more targeted at the production of food rather than feed. For example, the country's vegetable growers produce up to 40-50 tons of food per hectare. In comparison, typically only 5-10 tons of feed per hectare are produced. And legumes are the most efficient way to produce protein. In the future, we should therefore provide much better conditions for vegetable growers and legume producers,” says Rune-Christoffer Dragsdahl, secretary general of the Danish Vegetarian Association.

The ten organizations behind the model are the Danish Organic Association, the Danish Nature Conservation Association, the Danish Animal Protection Association, the Danish Vegetarian Association, the Green Transition Denmark, the Plant Industry, World Animal Protection, the Danish Ornithological Association, the Danish Beekeepers Association and Permaculture Denmark.

Find the model here.

By |2026-10-05T08:51:59+01:005. October 2026|Press release|Comments closed Ten organizations are taking action against passive EU support for agriculture
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We have our hands in the soil of the future: Here are our recommendations for balanced agriculture

If Denmark is to play a role in the global race for the food of the future, we must dare to listen to others than those we usually do. We need to supplement the positions of the big players with experiences from those who already have their hands in the new soil: the companies and actors who create growth, but do so on the planet's terms and with the knowledge needed to create the agriculture and food of the future.

We have established the Green Growth Team (grøntvæskteam.nu) with members from a generation of farmers who refuse to accept that growth must come at the expense of our planet. We are the farmers who are already driving regenerative farming. We are the investors who dare to channel capital into healthier soil. And we are the entrepreneurs who are creating the plant-based foods that the world demands. We are not just a counterpoint to the established, but a living invitation to think broader and bolder. We are the ones who make the green choice both delicious, easy and economically possible.

A fundamental transformation

Denmark has a new and green government. We hope that it will show the political courage it requires to prioritize new solutions that take multiple factors into account when we talk about growth. Growth should never come at the expense of the fjords and the sea, which are dying from oxygen depletion, or of our health, which is threatened by pesticides and nitrates in drinking water and food. We would like to contribute nine recommendations that show how the government can set a new direction for robust growth.

It takes more than small adjustments to move an entire industry. It requires a fundamental transformation. Among other things, we must dare to let public procurement dictate the direction of the green transition. We must remove VAT on what we want more of – organic. We must restructure support so that it becomes an economic gain to produce proteins directly for people rather than using the land to grow feed for animals. If we dare to prioritize the new solutions and look at the big picture, Denmark can become a global showcase for a future without pesticides.

A broader coalition for Danish success

A meaningful growth plan for the food system of the future requires a broad coalition. It is about making room for the contractors and entrepreneurs who are at the forefront of new methods, and for the investors who dare to invest in what is long-term and sustainable for the planet. We call on the government to be inspired by our recommendations. Denmark has shown before that we can transform entire industries and become world champions – we did it with wind energy, and we can do it again with food. Let us together ensure a growth vision that not only manages the past, but actively creates the future.

This debate was published in Børsen on 14/9/2026.

Senders: Animal Protection, Danish Vegetarian Association, Danish Organic Soil, Organic Youth Movement, Tempty Foods, Plant Industry, Andelsgaarde, Øm Klostergaard, Madland, Green Transition Denmark and Organic Plant Protein.

Read more about the recommendations here.

By |2026-09-16T11:54:00+01:0016. September 2026|OP-ED|Comments closed to We have our hands in the soil of the future: Here are our recommendations for balanced agriculture
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People behind research project: The landscape cannot be changed without popular support and local co-ownership

With current political goals, the landscape as we know it is facing the biggest changes in generations. If we are to succeed, it will require a rethinking of the notion that citizens are primarily someone to be informed and consulted. Together, citizens are an important but overlooked force for change – if we stop and see how we can participate.

In a country where about 60 percent of the land is cultivated, and 80 percent of the land is privately owned, the landscape cannot be changed without popular support and local co-ownership. And at the moment, voluntary changes are slow. Landscape changes are therefore also a democratic and cultural task.

A cultural change

The recent general election marked a move away from the common notion of being an agricultural country, but Denmark remains a cultural landscape. The landscape is shaped by the way we use, consume and manage the land. In other words, landscape changes also require a cultural change. We therefore need new positive common notions about how we will live in, with and from the landscapes of the future.

Therefore, allow us to plant a show here, because all over the country, locals are already busy creating the landscapes of the future together. In alling In Central Denmark, citizens have converted more than 70 hectares of agricultural land to nature in just a few years. The project creates biodiversity, protects the Gudenåen water environment and has also created new communities through, among other things, a nature camp for children.

And in the village of Halkær in North Jutland, residents have established a village community, which protects their water well, while also laying the foundation for a community vegetable garden that supplies vegetables to the local inn, creates work for regenerative farmers and new experiences for school gardens.

Common ground

In the initiative Forest Grove Locals in both Holbæk and Odsherred are working to convert agricultural land into forest to ensure clean groundwater, increase biodiversity and bind CO2. At the same time, they are exploring our relationship with nature through artistic initiatives – including in a new learning groundwater park together with Holbæk Municipality, Fors and Dansk Økojord. And in Pain at Camp is establishing a community where locals are invited to convert a large new area into nature in collaboration with regenerative farmers from Godis Grønt and the land manager Vanaheimr, who is behind Øm Klostergaard.

What the projects have in common is that people invest time, energy and care in local solutions. Not because someone has asked them to, but because they want to take responsibility for the landscape and their shared future. They reinvent the commons in their own way and find common ground in the changes.

Research shows, that a very large majority of Danes – 91 percent – ​​want more climate-friendly behavior and climate action. But only a few of us – 35 percent – ​​believe that the majority are actually willing to contribute. It is a huge barrier to real joint action when we do not believe that others will join in. The Climate Council also points to the need for stronger local communities, more real citizen involvement and greater focus on what creates local support for the transition – including co-ownership and participation.

Bureaucracy slows down

These are absolutely crucial insights. Because if nature restoration is only experienced as something that is implemented from above, it risks creating resistance, polarization and distrust where there was otherwise goodwill. The citizen-driven projects, on the other hand, show that real participation can make the transition a driving force for communities and local development. The problem is that our systems rarely support the citizens' drive.

Citizen involvement is too often reduced to hearings where the big decisions have already been made. Citizens are invited to comment, but rarely to participate and take responsibility. At the same time, local initiatives – such as Alling Naturpark, Skovgro, Halkær Landsbyfælled and Øm Folkefælled – encounter extensive bureaucracy, unclear rules and skewed or insufficient support schemes. This often puts a brake on the projects, even though they meet with a great willingness to cooperate in the respective municipalities. It is paradoxical when municipalities in several places simultaneously struggle to engage local landowners and create local cooperation.

A superpower

But our current system is not designed to support citizen initiatives. This means that it is often only the most resourceful communities that succeed in making their ideas grow. This is unfortunate. Especially when the government is simultaneously demanding stronger local communities, more democratic ownership and new forms of participation.

Therefore, we need to make it easier to establish citizen-driven projects through simple access to advice, support schemes and organisational assistance. We need new models of collaboration and planning processes that move from a logic of consultation to a logic of collaboration. And we need political courage to recognise citizen initiative as a superpower rather than a disruptive element.

There are many citizens who would like to take responsibility if we dare to create good political frameworks for them and believe that the landscapes of the future grow best on common ground.

Democratic inequality

The government's foundation emphasizes that the transformation of agriculture should benefit local communities, democratic co-ownership of energy projects and ambitions for better access to nature. These are positive ambitions. So why not expand the idea of ​​democratic co-determination to also include the land on which we stand? Because if we also want to strengthen democratic engagement, it is not enough to simply try to ensure access if there is no co-determination.

Land ownership continues to be concentrated in fewer and fewer hands and under ever larger holdings. This detaches land ownership from local communities, which seriously weakens close democratic dialogue, co-determination and access to nature. This is an enormous democratic inequality that the restructuring offers a unique historical opportunity to help offset.

As local ownership is lost, rural populations are shrinking. Culturally, we therefore risk losing our connection to the land – the culture and communities that historically fueled rural life. Here, citizen-driven initiatives can help foster new connections between nature and culture, between people, and between people and places.

They can strengthen rural areas and make them more attractive by creating new meeting places, natural areas, communities and more local culture. It is not just new cultural landscapes that we need to cultivate, but shared ideas about a completely new landscape culture.

This debate post was published in the Althingi on 11/9/2026. It was written in connection with the project People's leader.

The senders: 

Anton Bech Jørgensen, PhD fellow, University of Copenhagen,
Peter Søndergaard, on behalf of Halkær Village Association
Lotte Rømer Grove, on behalf of Skovgro
Casper Just, on behalf of Alling Nature Park
Henrik Bruun, on behalf of Øm Folkefælled
Lone Søderkvist Kristensen, professor of open land planning, University of Copenhagen
Ellen Braae, professor of Landscape Architecture, University of Copenhagen
August Herman, on behalf of Øm Klostergård and Vanaheimr
Helene Chéret, editor and senior advisor, Green Transition Denmark

By |2026-09-16T08:58:35+01:0016. September 2026|OP-ED|Comments closed to People behind research project: The landscape cannot be changed without popular support and local co-ownership
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Major mapping of PFAS in construction underway

The project 'From mapping to action: PFAS in building materials' brings together the Danish Green Transition Denmark, Henning Larsen Architects, Søren Jensen Consulting Engineers and TRE – Trap, Rose & Ekblad in a collaboration that aims to map PFAS in far more building materials than before and at the same time develop concrete solutions that construction stakeholders can use in practice.

PFAS are a very large group of chemicals that are associated with serious environmental and health consequences. At the same time, the substances make it more difficult to reuse and recycle building materials – a central challenge in the green transition of construction.

Lone Hjorth Mikkelsen, PhD and senior advisor at the Green Transition Denmark:

"We already have huge challenges with harmful chemicals in buildings and construction waste from past material choices and inadequate regulation. As long as we allow PFAS in new construction products, we are leaving behind yet another intractable chemical problem in our construction. If we are to succeed in a circular transition, we need to know where the substances are found and have them phased out before the problem grows even bigger."

The project builds on a previous mapping project that showed that PFAS are found in several different types of building products, often without it being apparent from the product information. This means that builders, architects, consultants and contractors today may have difficulty knowing whether they are building with materials that contain the problematic substances.

Martha Lewis, Head of Materials, Henning Larsen Architects:

"Construction products are currently not subject to full declaration of chemical content requirements. Therefore, PFAS can be present in products without it being stated in data sheets or product information. This creates major challenges in choosing the most sensible materials for your construction project.".

The goal of the project is both to create new knowledge about where PFAS occurs and to make it easier for construction stakeholders to choose alternatives. At the same time, we invite a constructive dialogue with all interested parties. The philanthropic association Realdania and the Landowners Investment Fund are behind the total grant of 2,4 million DKK for the project.

The EU is working on a comprehensive restriction of PFAS, and construction products are expected to be among the product areas that will be covered. However, the time horizon may be long, and the outcome is still unknown. The industry needs knowledge about which products contain PFAS, how the substances can be identified, and what alternatives are available.

Anna-Mette Monnelly, Sustainability Specialist, Søren Jensen Consulting Engineers:

"We are experiencing increasing demand from builders who want to avoid problematic chemicals in their construction projects. But it is difficult to make the right choices when PFAS rarely appears in the product information. The project will make it easier to translate ambitions into concrete material choices.”.

In addition to laboratory analyses, the project also includes interviews and cases from construction stakeholders. The experiences will be used to shed light on the barriers companies encounter when trying to avoid PFAS and to develop recommendations that can make the transition easier. The project will also create a greater understanding of the analytical methods used to identify PFAS. There are up to 12.000 different PFAS substances, and not all of them can be detected with the same methods.

Maria Ekblad, Partner in TRE – Trap, Rose & Ekblad:

"PFAS is not one substance, but a large group of thousands of different chemicals. If construction is to be able to phase out PFAS, we must first be able to document where the substances are found. The project will therefore examine a wide range of building products to map which PFAS compounds are found in the building products and in what concentrations. At the same time, the project will uncover the available PFAS analysis methods and options.

The project's results will be publicly available and will provide authorities, manufacturers and other construction stakeholders with a stronger basis for phasing out PFAS and promoting more circular construction.

Facts

  • The philanthropic association Realdania and the Landowners' Investment Fund are behind the total grant of DKK 2,4 million for the project. From mapping to action: PFAS in building products.
  • The project is being implemented by the Danish Green Transition Denmark, Henning Larsen Architects, Søren Jensen Consulting Engineers and TRE – Trap, Rose & Ekblad and will run until November 2027.
  • The project builds on a previous project collaboration, where PFAS was found in several types of building products.
  • The results are published on an ongoing basis and are intended to help the construction industry identify and phase out PFAS, as well as equip politicians to create better regulation. Among other things, the PFAS circle from a previous mapping project will be updated and disseminated.
By |2026-09-10T08:00:13+01:0010. September 2026|Press release|Comments closed to Large-scale mapping of PFAS in construction underway
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Dear media, now move your gaze from Christiansborg to where the change is happening.

The media is naturally overflowing with small and large analyses of the new government, just as (very) small and large rumors from Marienborg became political stories during the 70 days we waited for a government. Every newsroom has been on the other end ever since the new government seemed to become a reality. And that is understandable, because our politicians hold the ultimate responsibility for how we manage our society. The population has a right to know what their votes actually become.

But although the center of power tends to attract attention from both journalists and everyone else, this is not where we should look for the seeds of great social change. If we look back at the great democratic movements of the last 100 years, such as the cooperative movement, the labor movement and the women's movement, they have one thing in common: they started with people who stood up and demanded a greater influence on the society they are a part of. That we now have a government that will promote more gentle agriculture and ensure consideration for animal welfare came in the wake of long-standing debate and revelations about drinking water contaminated with nitrates and pesticides and cases of pig farmers violating the Animal Welfare Act, supported by campaigns from green organizations.

The new government foundation contains important words and intentions and is thus an important step on the path towards the transformation of society we are facing. The climate and biodiversity crisis calls for completely new ways of being human in the world if we are to live in balance with the ecosystems we have spent the last many years trying to throw out of balance. But in order to move there, we need to be able to see that future for ourselves, and the media is not doing enough to fulfill that task.

Danes want ambitious climate action

Scientists have been saying this for years, and it was recently cemented in an analysis of Danes' climate attitudes by the Danish Climate Council. The majority of Danes are concerned about the climate crisis – and want to move the country and political decisions in a fairer and greener direction. In the analysis, the Danish Climate Council makes a number of recommendations for politicians – but several of the recommendations are at least as relevant to the country's media.

Media Denmark has a heavy hand in the public conversation – whether they want to be aware of it or not. So when the Climate Council writes a recommendation to politicians that they should become better at communicating unifying stories about the future that also contain hope and community, it is not just the politicians' task. That task also lies with those with the biggest mouthpieces and the most skilled storytellers – the country's media. Not as a replacement for power-critical and investigative journalism (of course), but as a supplement.

People who have their hands in the dirt

There are plenty of stories to tell, but they require turning your gaze away from the center of power. In recent years, we have seen a mobilization of people who insist on taking part in the transformation of our landscapes and societies. Imagine if more journalists – including in the major national media – prioritized efforts on those stories, followed developments and looked more closely at the legal and bureaucratic obstacles that stand in the way. In many places in the country, people are coming together, getting involved and testing new forms of ownership, cooperation and access to nature and land.

Take, for example, the association Forest Grove, where citizens experiment with buying agricultural land and converting it into a forest with high biodiversity. In Holbæk, the project helps to secure part of the citizens' drinking water, as the land that was once sprayed is located next to a drinking water well. The people behind Skovgro spend their free time familiarizing themselves with the rules surrounding drinking water and agricultural land with a burning desire to be part of the conversion of areas that is needed to take care of our nature, environment and health.

Or take a trip to the village of Skårup on Funen, which together with Svendborg Municipality, a landowner and a utility company have built a energy community on their feet. Here they produce and share renewable energy, which is supplied by nearby wind turbines, solar cells on the roof of the Culture and Sports Center and electric charging stations. For the citizens of the project, it makes sense to be co-owners and involved in energy production, rather than just being spectators of the larger energy parks that land in the local area.

A transformation that unites rather than divides

Whether Danes are engaged in transformation within energy, nature restoration or agriculture, we need to hear more about their efforts. First and foremost, their experiences can inspire others to start other projects in their own areas. But the stories also show new ways of creating change, which can push the transformation that must happen in interaction and with the involvement of the local population. In the big picture, it can also be the seed to solve one of the significant challenges that politicians at Christiansborg, but also in the EU, are facing, namely to transform society in a way that unites rather than divides and creates polarization. Another recommendation from the Climate Council’s latest analysis is precisely that there must be much more involvement – ​​citizens must be included in the engine room.

We have spent the last few years investigating how to create climate journalism that creates hope and action. Together with sustainability psychologist Simon Elsborg Nygaard, we have taken our knowledge of journalism and his knowledge of sustainability psychology and mixed it well. The result can be found in a number of practical recommendations that we have just published. And perhaps the most important point is precisely that we need stories about people who take social change into their own hands. Because research in psychology shows that our behavior is not changed through information about the state of affairs alone. In fact, to a very small extent. On the contrary, it is changed through our social networks. Through our actions. Once we take a step in a more sustainable direction, our attitude towards climate and transition changes.

That's why we need stories about the enormous power of change that lies in the communities that are already growing throughout the country. We need stories about collective change in local communities, about people who are pulling their workplaces, handball clubs, housing and property owners' associations and the whole of society in a green direction. People and communities like the new government should do their utmost to support. We need to see many more of those stories.

Because it must be one of the most noble tasks as a journalist to ensure a nuanced, informed conversation about the societal transformation we are facing, as Connie Hedegaard also writes in the foreword to the publication:

Politicians must provide goals, frameworks and ensure that it is worthwhile to act for the common long-term good. But for elected officials to be able to undertake this difficult task, acceptance is required from the people they represent. Creating the foundation for an informed population has always been the media's most important task. It was also when we were faced with the corona pandemic. It was and is when it comes to Ukraine and the security situation in the world. And climate is no exception. Therefore, in this 21st century, it must be a completely natural task for the media to contribute to informing about solutions and actions, to create climate communication that can motivate action.

This article was written by Sofie Hviid from Klimajournalisterne and Helene Chéret from the Green Transition Denmark, and it was published in Jyllands-Posten on June 17, 2026.

Photo: Skovgro

By |2026-06-25T10:16:05+01:00June 18 2026|OP-ED|Comments closed Dear media, now move your gaze from Christiansborg to where the change is happening
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Broad alliance warns: EU proposal risks weakening protection of Danish environment, drinking water and health

An upcoming suggestion from the European Commission on food and feed safety risks significantly weakening the EU's pesticide rules. This is warned by a wide range of Danish organisations in a new joint letter to the government.

The organizations assess that the proposal could have far-reaching consequences for public health, consumer safety, nature and the protection of Danish drinking water, which has been a central issue during the Danish election campaign.

“This proposal is not a simplification, but a weakening of the EU's pesticide legislation, and it limits Denmark's ability to respond to new knowledge. It is a step in the wrong direction, both for the environment, health and for our drinking water,” says Emilie Ellesøe, advisor, Green Transition Denmark.

Can keep dangerous pesticides on the market

The organizations warn that the proposal will weaken key elements of EU pesticide regulation by:

  • pesticides can in practice be approved without a time limit
  • remove the requirement for continuous reassessment of pesticide active ingredients
  • limit the ability of Member States to incorporate new knowledge
  • pesticides with proven risks may remain on the market for longer
  • use unclear definitions and expand exceptions

Consequences for the environment, drinking water and consumers

Overall, the proposal is assessed to weaken the precautionary principle and reduce the protection of the environment, groundwater and public health.

"We need to resort to a precautionary principle and prevent more pesticides, nitrates and other sources of pollution from finding their way into our drinking water," says Jesper Fisker, CEO of the Danish Cancer Society.

The lack of reassessment and limitation of new knowledge could mean that harmful substances remain in the environment longer and increase the risk of soil and groundwater contamination. The organizations warn that the proposal goes against the EU's own goals of reducing pesticide use and protecting the aquatic environment.

“It would be a disaster for the protection of the groundwater we extract for drinking if we were unable to ban pesticides and chemicals. The approval system is in no way a guarantee, because new knowledge and more sophisticated techniques are constantly changing the status of the substances used. Last year alone, the state banned 33 pesticides that were found to be leaching into the groundwater, but which otherwise had gone through the approval system,” says Carl-Emil Larsen, CEO of DANVA, the water companies' trade association.

At the same time, it is criticized that the proposal maintains a double standard, where pesticide residues that are not permitted in the EU can still occur in imported foods.

Calls on the government to resign

The organizations call on the government to clearly oppose the parts of the proposal that weaken pesticide legislation when it is considered in the EU, and instead to work for stronger legislation and sustainable alternatives such as organic and agroecology.

The organizations behind the letter are the Green Transition Denmark, Danish Waterworks, the Consumer Council Think, the Danish Cancer Society, the Association for Regenerative Agriculture, Free Farmers – Living Land, Greenpeace, the Danish Organic Association, DANVA, the Danish Ornithological Association and the WWF World Wildlife Fund.

The letter has been sent to the acting Minister of the Environment and Minister for Equality Magnus Heunicke (S), Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Jacob Jensen (V), Minister for the Green Tripartite Jeppe Bruus (S), Minister of the Interior and Health Sofie Løhde (V) and Minister for European Affairs Marie Bjerre (V).

The letter can be read here..

Contact 

Emilie Ellesoe Nielsen

Advisor, Food and bioresources

+45 41114142
emilie@rgo.dk

or

Christian Ege

Senior Consultant, Food and Bioresources

+45 2858 0698
christian@rgo.dk

By |2026-06-01T12:48:07+01:00June 1 2026|Press release|Comments closed to Broad alliance warns: EU proposal risks weakening protection of Danish environment, drinking water and health
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21 green organizations demand nature and biodiversity law

We are in a global biodiversity crisis, where we are losing species at a rate never seen before in human history. Over 1.900 species are threatened and at risk of disappearing from Denmark, and despite decades of efforts, the trend has not yet been reversed.

The main reason for the poor state of nature on land is that nature lacks space, because we use too much of the land area for intensive agriculture, forestry and other human activities. In the sea, nature is threatened by, among other things, bottom-dragged fishing, nutrient discharge and many other activities that destroy marine ecosystems. There is a consensus among biodiversity researchers that the solution is to allocate space for nature, where it is effectively protected and managed.

The current government promised a nature and biodiversity law in its government charter. A law that, like the Climate Act, would set targets for how large a proportion of Denmark's land and sea area should be protected and strictly protected nature. But this law has unfortunately not been passed.

Therefore, 21 green organizations have now joined forces in a joint appeal to politicians that a biodiversity law remains a crucially important task for a future government:

Give Nature the Law – A Biodiversity Act. We want a biodiversity act that will stop the loss of species, ensure better protection of nature and give wild nature more space.

We therefore have three important demands for the Biodiversity Act: 

  1. The law must ensure 30% protected nature on land and at sea. Protected nature must be natural areas where nature is effectively protected from threats to biodiversity. In protected nature, for example, there cannot be intensive agriculture, forestry and fishing with bottom trawls.
  1. The law must ensure 10% strictly protected nature on land and at sea. This means that one third of the protected nature must be strictly protected. Strictly protected nature must be large, continuous natural areas where wild nature is restored. Here, nature has priority over other interests, but with new opportunities for fantastic nature experiences.
  2. The Biodiversity Council must be guaranteed by law. The Council's tasks must be to continuously assess the government's efforts and goal achievement.

Senders: 

  1. Danish Society for Nature Conservation
  1. WWF
  1. Danish Ornithological Society/BirdLife Denmark
  1. Forests of the World
  1. Green Transition Denmark
  1. Greenpeace
  1. Crazy with Will
  1. The Species Association
  1. Denmark's Wild Nature
  1. The young biodiversity ambassadors
  1. FLOWER
  1. Plan B
  1. Nature & Youth
  1. The climate movement
  1. Lepidopterological Society
  1. Danish Mammal Society
  1. Danish Natural Grazing
  1. Danish Botanical Association
  1. Biology Association
  1. The Green Youth Movement
  1. Entomological Society
By |2026-03-11T12:37:13+01:0011. March 2026|Press release|Comments closed to 21 green organizations demand nature and biodiversity law
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Solution in sight for polluted port cities: Power the ferries

Aarhus–Sjællands Odde, Hirtshals–Larvik and Hirtshals–Kristiansand. These three routes are on the list of the 50 most climate-intensive ferry routes in Europe. At the same time, Danish ferries overall rank tenth among Europe's largest CO₂-emitting ferries. And as a result, pollution with harmful sulfur oxides (SOx) is high in several Danish coastal cities.

Now showing a new analysis from Transport & Environment that the solution is right in front of us: a switch from diesel to electricity.

“Electrification of ferry routes is one of the fastest ways to reduce CO₂ emissions from maritime transport, while improving air quality for local citizens. The battery technology is ready. With the right policy measures and investments in charging infrastructure in ports, Denmark can accelerate the transition and make many ferry routes emission-free within the next decade,” says Katerina Davidova, advisor to the Green Transition Denmark.

Electrification is particularly promising on short ferry routes of less than 100 km, which make up a large part of European ferry traffic. Ferries are a central part of Europe’s transport network, carrying around 400 million passengers each year and connecting islands and coastal areas with the mainland. But most ferries still run on diesel engines, contributing to both climate change and air pollution. In ports such as Barcelona, ​​Dublin and Naples, ferries are responsible for more toxic air pollution than all the cars in the cities combined.

For Denmark, which has more than 60 ferry routes connecting the country's islands and creating connections to neighboring countries, electrification of ferries represents a great opportunity to reduce both air pollution and climate footprint. And it makes sense to consider it from the start. A Danish ferry lasts an average of 27 years. Several are already underway. In addition to a number of smaller ferries, Molslinjen is having three electric ferries built for routes on the Kattegat. Scandlines has an electric ferry sailing between Rødbyhavn from Lolland to Puttgarden. And the Øresundslinjen's ferries between Helsingør and Helsingborg are also powered by electricity.

High levels of sulfur oxides in Aarhus, Frederikshavn and Rønne

Diesel ferries emit pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter. Electrification of ferries could significantly reduce air pollution in Danish port cities such as Rønne, Aarhus, Frederikshavn, Sjællands Odde and Spodsbjerg on Langeland, where ferries sail frequently and often close to residential areas. These five Danish ports with intensive ferry traffic have the highest concentrations of SOx emissions, often higher than emissions from road traffic in the cities in question.

Short and frequent ferry routes, common in the Baltic and North Seas, are particularly well suited to electrification because the ferries can charge quickly while passengers and vehicles are boarding. Denmark is also well-positioned thanks to strong renewable energy production, existing experience with electric ferries and a dense network of short ferry routes connecting islands such as Bornholm, Samsø and Ærø.

Political action is crucial to the pace of the transition. At the moment, the biggest obstacle to electrification is not batteries – it is the charging infrastructure in ports. However, the challenge is far from insurmountable. Most ports will only need relatively small chargers of less than 5 MW to support the operation of electric ferries.

In addition to investments in high-capacity charging infrastructure in Danish ports, a review of electricity tariffs and grid connection costs for ferry operators could create further incentives for electrification. Finally, using public procurement rules to prioritize zero-emission vessels when renewing the aging ferry fleet could accelerate the entire development.

By |2026-03-10T09:25:31+01:0010. March 2026|Press release|Comments closed Solution in sight for polluted port cities: Power the ferries
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To the new government: Our common future is green, electric and balanced

To create change, you have to be able to imagine the future. For us at the Green Transition Council, our shared future is green, electric, and where there is a balance between people, nature, and the environment. Below you can see how we get there by focusing on four crucial areas.

In recent years, we in Denmark have been through a roller coaster ride in the climate and environmental field. We have seen progress, decline and stagnation. In some cases, politicians have taken active action and got things done, while other cases and decisions have pulled us far back. Therefore, the three words climate, environment and biodiversity must be lifted right into the middle of politicians' field of vision again. We must act now - together - and we must do so for several reasons: for the climate, the environment, nature and biodiversity and thus also our health, economy, cohesion and security. It can also be said more briefly: for our own sake, our children and grandchildren.

Most of what we are pointing to has already been proven to have a big impact on our society. Now we need the right politicians and cooperation to make it happen. The next four years will make a big difference.

The greenest greetings

Green Transition Denmark

Four focus areas on the path towards a shared green future

Clean drinking water and a healthy ocean

If we want to be able to tap clean drinking water and bring life back to our oceans, we must address a particularly sore spot for our society: our consumption of chemicals. Substances like PFAS have been a kind of wonder chemical, making our kitchenware easier to wash, our clothes drier and industrial processes easier to run. But unfortunately, the chemicals have a serious downside. Study after study shows that they harm our health and environment, and they find their way into every corner of our society: drinking water, the marine environment, crops, livestock and our blood. Now, joint efforts must be made to turn off the tap, ban the harmful chemicals, develop alternatives, and clean up and tidy up.

Food for people with respect for nature

Agriculture must find the balance again, so that good quality food is produced for people and with respect for nature, climate and the environment. We must gain experience from those who are already taking action. The farmers who are converting to organic farming and working to reduce their climate footprint. The young people who are joining forces to produce food in a way that takes into account the aquatic environment, biodiversity, the soil and the well-being of animals. The Green Tripartite Agreement must reduce some of the nitrogen emissions to the aquatic environment and reduce agriculture's CO2 footprint further. But we must also have agriculture free of harmful pesticides, and that produces more plant-based food and has fewer cows, pigs and poultry. This benefits our environment, climate and health.

Green transport on the roads

Can you imagine walking through a city without the noise of car engines and smoke and smells from exhaust pipes? The way to get there depends on us getting more electric cars and buses on the roads, while fossil fuels have to put down their clogs. Unfortunately, many forces in the automotive industry are pulling the opposite way in the EU. At the same time, efforts are needed to get trucks and ferries to run on electricity, and to develop more green fuel for large ships and aircraft. Self-driving technology has great potential and can reduce the number of cars on the roads. A transformation of the transport sector will make a big difference to health, the environment and the climate, because today the sector is responsible for more than a quarter of the climate impact in Denmark and the EU.

Clean energy – a joint project

To slow down climate change, protect our environment, increase biodiversity and ensure cleaner air, we must completely end fossil fuels. We must stop extracting coal, oil and gas from the ground and burning biomass in heating plants. Instead, we must get all our energy from the sun, wind, water and geothermal energy. And we must save energy and use it more efficiently. The good news is that we have the technologies to base our society on renewable energy, but it must be rolled out, and it must be done in a way that makes sense − also for local communities. The green transition will only be fully successful when it is anchored and becomes a joint project.

By |2026-06-11T09:02:00+01:004. March 2026|Comment|Comments closed To the new government: Our common future is green, electric and balanced
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Christmas greetings from the Green Transition Denmark

The Christmas holidays are approaching, and a year with many events, progress and obstacles on the road to a greener society is coming to an end. We would like to say a thousand thanks to all of you who support us, our partners and to the many people who have participated and contributed to our events. Your involvement and green spirit make a big difference to our work for climate and environment in Denmark and internationally.

The secretariat is closed between Christmas and New Year.

See you in the new year.

Many greetings

Green Transition Denmark

Ps: If you missed a conference or webinar, we have collected key points and video recordings from a selection of the events here:

Collections from events in 2025

The EU's plans for PFAS and Denmark's role

Webinar focusing on the EU's upcoming PFAS restriction proposal – one of the most comprehensive chemical interventions in history. The question is whether the EU's pace and transition periods are sufficient, and whether Denmark should take the lead with national regulation in specific product areas. READ MORE.

Methane reductions: Our lifeline to limit global temperature increases?

Despite global promises to reduce emissions of the greenhouse gas methane, concentrations are still rising. Fortunately, we have many buttons to turn – both in agriculture and in the energy sector, and Denmark should show the way forward. Summary from conference at Christiansborg. Read more.

Solar farms, local concerns and citizen engagement – a webinar focusing on causes and solutions

Frustrations over energy parks and other climate initiatives seem to be growing in Europe. In this webinar, we looked at resistance in the EU, but also at solutions. For how can we shape the transition so that it makes sense for local communities around the countries? Read more. Click

Reducing Pesticides, Eliminating PFAS Pesticides, Protecting Water: Denmark Leads the EU Presidency

Pesticides affect human health, ecosystems and biodiversity. Yet half of our land is sprayed every year. There is a need for recognition of the seriousness of the problem, more regulation and more knowledge sharing – also across the EU. Conference at Christiansborg. Read more.

By |2026-01-14T13:22:51+01:0010. December 2025|Article|Comments closed to Christmas greetings from the Green Transition Denmark
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