Climate action
In Denmark, we have one of the highest climate footprints per capita, and we are still deeply dependent on fossil fuels in our energy system. Therefore, there is an urgent need for political climate action
We are in the midst of an acute climate crisis driven by our massive dependence on fossil fuels. Globally, we are already above 1,2 degrees of temperature increase compared to the level before industrialization, and the time to be able to keep temperature increases below the Paris Agreement's 1,5 degrees seems to be rapidly running out. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) expects that within the next five years, with 66 per cent probability for the first time will exceed 1,5 degree temperature increase for at least one out of the five years in total.
These figures clearly show that today we are acting far too little and far too slowly in relation to the phasing out of fossil fuels. In 2022 alone, global CO2 emissions increased by 0,9 per cent. compared to the previous year and thus reached a record high of 36,8 billion tonnes. This shows an analysis from the International Energy Agency – IEA. The UN Climate Panel IPCC thus also points out that "without immediate and deep reductions across all sectors, it will be out of reach to limit global temperature increases to 1,5C."
If we are to hope to stay within the 1.5°C target, the world must have broken the CO2 curve by 2025 at the latest, and globally CO2 emissions must be reduced by as much as 43 per cent. in 2030. If one instead chooses to go after the 2 degree target, global CO2 emissions must peak before 2025 and be reduced by a quarter before 2030.
Denmark as a leading country
For many years, Denmark has prided itself on being a green front runner nation with global green energy companies and an ambitious climate target of reaching 70 per cent. reduction in our CO2 emissions in 2030. For many years we have also topped international green lists such as the Climate Change Performance Index and Yale's Environmental Performance Index. The Climate Act directly states that Denmark should be the leading country for the transition to renewable energy.
However, if you really look at the real figures for Denmark's green performance, a slightly different story emerges. We are still deeply dependent on fossil fuels in our energy system, where oil, natural gas and coal made up just under 53 per cent. of Denmark's gross energy consumption and accounted for emissions of 29 million tonnes of CO2 in 2022. We are today a clear high jumper in relation to climate footprint both globally and within the EU. In the EU, we are thus surpassed only by Luxembourg when it comes to CO2 footprint per inhabitant. In relation to resource consumption, including extraction and processing of natural resources (biomass, fossil fuels, metals and minerals), this accounts for 53 per cent, according to a report from the UN Environment Organization (UNEP). of global CO2 emissions. And here Denmark is also a clear high jumper. Where an EU citizen uses an average of 17,8 tonnes of materials per year, in Denmark we use 24,5 tonnes per inhabitant (see more in Circularity Gap Report Denmark).
In addition to standing in a position as a bottom-scraper, we are also far from on the right track when it comes to the speed and volume of our climate reductions. There are still no political efforts that demonstrate that we will reach our climate target for 2025, which is a reduction between 50 and 54 per cent. The same applies to our 2030 climate goals.
Climate action needed now
We therefore need far more ambitious and radical political action in the climate area. In recent years, political efforts in Denmark have been characterized by too little and too much uncertainty. There is too much focus on technological fixes and symptom treatment rather than on political decisions and measures that can pave the way for the necessary structural changes that the liberation from fossil fuels requires.
Green Transition Denmark works purposefully to ensure that Denmark gets up to speed in the climate transition and that politically the phasing out of fossil fuels is much more accelerated across all sectors. We are working to ensure that Denmark raises its climate ambitions further and at the same time assumes greater responsibility in relation to reducing our global climate footprint.
Green Transition Denmark also works for a more ambitious climate policy in the EU. It requires forward-looking European regulation, green incentives and measures that can accelerate the phasing out of fossil fuels across sectors.
The eight most important political climate measures for Denmark
Green Transition Denmark works to ensure that the government takes the following initiatives:
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1. Raise the climate target to a minimum of 80 percent CO2 reduction in 2030 and set a reduction target for our global consumption footprint of at least 50 percent by 2030. This is crucial for Denmark to meet the EU's energy and climate requirements and deliver its part of the Paris Agreement.
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2. Raise the Danish CO2 tax (including the EU's quota price) to DKK 1500/tonne CO2 in 2030 and also include companies within mineralogical processes.
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3. Introduce consumption-based climate tax on climate-heavy products such as beef, aircraft and milk, which have a CO2e emission of approx. 4 kg/kg product. This should contribute to Danes' consumption becoming more climate-friendly, and to companies getting greater incentives to move towards the production of more climate-friendly goods and products.
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4. Put turbo on rollout of solar and wind. There is a need for an accelerated expansion of solar and wind energy on land, which ensures a sevenfold increase in capacity by 2030, and that 30 GW of offshore wind is also secured in 2030. This is crucial if the supply of RE is to be able to keep up with demand. towards 2030 and 2050.
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5. Focus on the known technologies and solutions. We have the solutions and technologies today that can bring us to the goal of our climate ambitions. Therefore, politically, we must prioritize the efforts we know have an effect (energy efficiency, renewable energy expansion, taxes on climate-heavy goods, etc.) - and to a lesser extent tie our climate efforts to unsafe technologies such as PtX and CCS.
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6. Introduce a binding reduction target for our resource consumption. Denmark's over-consumption of resources is a crucial climate challenge that must be addressed politically if we are to succeed in the climate transition. Therefore, there is a need for concrete objectives, strategy and action plans that can pave the way for a circular restructuring of Denmark. The political efforts in the area should be followed up on an ongoing basis by an independent resource council.
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7. Adopt a broad green tax reform, which ensures the financial incentives needed to reduce the use of fossil fuels and climate-heavy resources at the right pace – across sectors such as construction, agriculture, transport, industry and energy.
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8. Set significantly higher targets for energy efficiency than the EU, and save at least 23 per cent. of the energy in 2030 compared to 2019. This includes concrete requirements for the energy efficiency of buildings and more pace for the electrification of industry.
