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November 16th, 2017

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Coal no longer king when it comes to firing up power stations to produce electricity (photo: Danielle Keller)

At the international climate conference COP23 in Bonn, the Danish government announced today that it has joined the coalition pledged to phase coal out of energy production.

The coalition consists of 15 countries, with Canada and the UK at the forefront, reports DR Nyheder.

“The price of sustainable energy is falling rapidly and we’ve now reached a point where new offshore wind turbine parks are cheaper than coal-fired power stations in Denmark,” said the energy, climate and utilities minister, Lars Christian Lilleholt.

READ ALSO: New climate policy mechanisms a boon to Denmark’s CO2 reduction plans

If the goals set in Paris two years ago are to be met, the minister feels that concerted action is essential. “We have to set a good example. When we’re asking other countries around the world – not least, developing countries – to change over, it is important we are at the forefront.”

Figures from the UN environmental program show that last year, 1.55 trillion kroner was invested worldwide in new sustainable energy technology such as solar batteries and wind turbines. This is more than double the amount compared to 2006.

In Denmark, there are only three large coal-fired power stations remaining.

Climate change a greater threat than terrorism
A new survey from Edelman Intelligence on behalf of energy firm Ørsted shows that when it comes to acting on climate change, politicians are lagging far behind the general public. In 13 countries including Denmark, an average of 82 percent feel it is important to create a world powered exclusively by sustainable energy, DR Nyheder reports. In addition, in these countries, climate change is seen as a greater global threat than terrorism. In addition to Denmark, the list of the 13 countries comprises China, USA, Germany, France Canada, UK, Japan, South Korea, Poland, Sweden, Taiwan and the Netherlands. When asked who should do something about changing over to green energy to reduce CO2 emissions, those polled answered it was the responsibility of national governments, large companies and energy providers.

Denmark down four places on climate change index
Denmark has dropped even further down the global league table when it comes to efforts on climate change. On the Climate Change Performance Index 2018 presented at COP23, Denmark had dropped down to number 17, reports DR Nyheder. Last year, Denmark went from a top placing down to number 13. The list is compiled by the German environmental group Germanwatch in collaboration with NewClimate Institute. It covers the 56 countries that are together responsible for over 90 percent of global CO2 emissions. Despite a relatively low placing when it comes to climate policy, Denmark is still riding high regarding sustainable energy.