In 2022, a broad majority in the Danish Parliament reached an agreement to phase out gas by 2035., as an important part of making us independent of gas imports. But now it shows The government's latest Climate Projection, KF25that there will be 117.000 gas boilers left in Danish homes in 2035 – this is far from the goal of phasing out. This is the consequence of, that despite the agreement in 2022, a concrete plan for phasing out gas boilers has not yet been made - and therefore we need political action now if we are not to fail in our climate and safety commitments.

Maintaining gas boilers is not a solution – it is a bill for the few

The Liberal Party's recent proposal to drop the political agreement to phase out gas boilers in 2035 will not help the households it claims to protect. On the contrary risks the at leaving them with more expensive heating bills, greater uncertainty – and with the bill to keep an aging gas network alive, which the rest of Denmark is otherwise about to abandon.

At the same time, it constitutes a breach of the Climate Agreement. When the Liberal Party chooses to step back from a centrally agreed milestone, it creates uncertainty about whether Denmark will stick to its climate goals – both towards citizens, businesses and international partners.

If the gas network is to be served by fewer and fewer households in the future, the costs of operation and maintenance will fall on those who remain. It is particularly households in rural areas that risk being left alone with the financial burden. This is not a solution – it is a transfer of responsibility and risk to those who already have the fewest alternatives.

"If we really want to help households in remote areas, we need to give them real support to switch to heat pumps or district heating – not keep them in a unsure and animals energy form, while the rest of society adapts." – Britt Dam, Climate and energy advisor, Green Transition Denmark.

Green gas for household heating er et security policy self-goal

As part of the announcement, explains Leftthat it does not make sense to switch, because the gas in the network will be green anyway in 2029. At the same time, we see similar signals from the Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities. But it risks becoming an end in itself, because green gas is a scarce resource. Biogas should be reserved for sectors where we have no alternatives – such as heavy industry. When we use it in gas boilers, where heat pumps and district heating are more efficient, we waste the potential and prolong gas dependence. Likewise, biogas is not a climate-neutral solution, as otherwise stated in the government's interpretation, since the production of biogas is associated with emissions of methane – an extremely potent greenhouse gas.

Denmark is now independent of Russian gas – and that is an important position of strength. But we still have a responsibility to reduce our overall gas consumption and ensure that scarce green resources such as biogas are used where they make the greatest difference in terms of climate and security.

It is therefore crucial that the political agreement to phase out gas boilers in private homes is translated into a concrete and realistic plan – rather than focusing on green gas, where more efficient alternatives exist. If Denmark uses a large part of the available biogas in individual gas boilers, it could also indirectly maintain demand for fossil gas elsewhere in Europe – and thus undermine both climate and energy security goals.

Better support schemes and electrification are the way forward

Green Transition Denmark's calculations clearly show, it is far more economically advantageous to invest in electrification with heat pumps and district heating. Biogas is highlighted as the solution, but it is a scarce and expensive resource that may have difficulty meeting demand in the coming years. Similarly, the "green gas junction", which the Liberal Party refers to when they say that the gas network can be 100% green in 2029, has been postponed to 2032 according to KF25. This is also not a guarantee of continued low gas prices - on the contrary, gas consumers will continue to be dependent on global markets and fluctuating prices, regardless of the gas form.

The wise – and responsible – choice is to stick to the goal of phasing out gas boilers by 2035 and ensure that all citizens have access to real alternatives. This means better support schemes for heat pumps., and local infrastructure that can support future solutions. It is both fairer and better from a socio-economic perspective.

Electrification is not only the greenest solution – it is also the cheapest and most stable for both households and businesses. But it requires that we stand firm and not start rolling back key climate agreements. There must be trust that the government means it when it says we must move away from gas, and that Danes who invest in green solutions will not be left behind. We cannot afford to let down the climate, cohesion or citizens' trust in the green transition, and we therefore call on the government to stick to the agreement.