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From the oil crisis of the 1970s to today’s skyrocketing gasoline prices and growing concerns about global warming, the world is slowly waking up to the fact that it is living beyond its means. In December of this year, as a follow-up to the Kyoto Protocol, there is a possibility of a new, global agreement at the COP15 in Denmark.
The Danish government is hoping that the world’s focus on Denmark in the coming year will help yield new export contracts and create new jobs for skilled labor in the energy and climate industry. In Denmark, a wide variety of projects have already been undertaken to showcase Danish cleantech solutions for the world and to plan for the upcoming COP15 event which is expected to attract 15,000 officials, advisors, diplomats, NGO’s and media representatives from 192 countries.
In the last 30 years, Denmark has been obliged to think climate-friendly. With only scarce natural resources, it has been essential to find sustainable solutions to climate issues. The Danish government imposed heavy taxes on energy, cars and industry, with the result that Danes are very conscious of climate issues.
Danish achievements in the climate and energy field are unique. For example, the Danish agro-industry has, since the 1970’s, developed climate solutions to support food production—solutions that support other climate-friendly initiatives such as bio-energy production. Denmark is now a world leader in biogas technology and in the use of straw for energy production. Thanks to these advances in technology, Danish agriculture has reduced emissions of greenhouse gases by 27 percent since 1990. Bio-energy currently accounts for more than 70 percent of total renewable energy production in Denmark – and most of the biomass comes from agriculture in the form of straw, manure, energy crops, animal by-products and other residues from food production.
“We have been obliged to think energy-efficient all the time and this has encouraged us to become very innovative. We can proudly state that Danish business and industry have some of the best solutions for reducing global CO2 emissions,” says Finn Mortensen, executive director of Climate Consortium Denmark, a public-private partnership whose main task it is to promote Danish cleantech solutions ahead of the COP15 conference.
Anders Eldrup, CEO of DONG Energy, Denmark’s leading energy company, which is aspiring to be one of Europe’s foremost energy producers with a reputation for turning deep know-how into enduring solutions, states: “The reorientation of the Danish energy system that was initiated some 30 years ago is the reason why we today use large quantities of biomass, have some of the world’s most efficient power plants and benefit from an extensive development of wind energy.” DONG Energy itself has built half the world’s offshore wind parks and plans to triple its renewable capacity to MW3000 by 2020.
The climate and energy sector in Denmark comprises nearly 500 companies, employs 32,000 (21,000 in wind technology alone), has revenues of $10bn and accounts for 9 percent of total exports, up from 4 percent a decade ago. Denmark hopes to quadruple exports of climate-friendly technology in the coming years.
Ole Daugbjerg, chief information officer for Danfoss, a global, family-owned leader in the heating, cooling and motion controls industry, currently exploring the potential of fuel cells, heat pumps and solar inverters, is hoping for a Danish cleantech revolution: “We have to make it visible to the world that Danish cleantech solutions can help reduce global CO2-emissions with great effect.”
The coming ten months will show if Denmark is up to the task of planning and reaching a global political agreement at the COP15 in Copenhagen. One thing is certain—Danes have joined forces. Government, business, industry and citizens are working together to build a sustainable future, and now they’re preparing to share what they’ve learned with the rest of the world.
Facts:
Climate Consortium Denmark promotes Danish climate and energy solutions and showcases initiatives aimed at drawing the world’s attention to Danish business and research institutions.
Climate Consortium Denmark is set up as a joint venture between the Danish state and five major business organisations. These include the Confederation of Danish Industry, the Danish Construction Association, the Danish Energy Association, the Danish Agricultural Council and the Danish Wind Industry Association.
It is a public-private partnership established with the ambition of bringing everyone together to solve the climate challenges.
HRH Crown Prince Frederik is patron of Climate Consortium Denmark.
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Climate Consortium Denmark
Kristian Wederkinck Olesen
(+45) 22 49 20 31