Friends of the Earth Denmark’s Big Ask campaign has received a major boost following the new Danish government’s commitment to pass a climate law.
The Danish people elected a new government in September comprising three parties on the centre-left. In its foundation document, as well as saying it will enact a climate law, the government pledged to use the climate challenge as a lever for innovation, job creation and increased export of green technology. It said it would work to increase the qualifications in the labour force and involve local governments and citizens in the transition.
Specific targets are:
– To source 100% of electricity and heat from renewables by 2035, and 100% of all energy supply by 2050.
– 50% of power coming from wind by 2020.
– To phase out coal and individual oil heating by 2030.
– A 40% reduction in GHG-emissions (1990 baseline) by 2020, with a climate plan announced in 2012 to secure this target for reduction from the non-ETS-sector.
– To develop a strategy for a smart grid.
– To push for binding targets for energy savings and renewables in the EU, including for beyond 2020.
– To push for the EU to increase its CO2-reduction target for 2020 from 20% to 30%.
– To actively work for an ambitious and binding international agreement and ensure that Denmark takes its fair share of responsibility concerning emission reductions, technology transfer and climate finance.
The targets will be written into a climate law, inspired by the British and the Scottish examples.
This momentum comes at a good moment, since Denmark will hold the rotating EU Presidency for the first half of 2012.
In the coming months Friends of the Earth Denmark will be scrutinising the detail and of the proposals and lobby to ensure a strong law is passed.
