Stephen Gadd
January 31st, 2019

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The environment minister, Lars Christian Lilleholt, may not be smiling quite so broadly when he has to debate the climate proposals of the citizens’ petition (photo: Hasse Ferrold)

Action – and not just more hot air – seems to be the order of the day when it comes to what people would like to see regarding climate policy in Denmark.

In early January this year a petition was launched by a group of Danish environmental and sustainable development organisations to obtain the required 50,000 signatures for Parliament to be obliged to discuss the proposal.

READ ALSO: Citizenry proposal for Danish climate law gathering momentum

The goal was reached in under two weeks, and now the ball is firmly in Parliament’s court, reports DR Nyheder.

The opposition parties have already indicated their support for the proposal, as well as their willingness to bring the matter before Parliament as quickly as possible.

Six-point plan
The petition calls for a new six-point climate law that would see Denmark increase its contribution to attaining the goals set out in the Paris Agreement. It also wants five-year milestones set out for at least 15 years, as well as climate considerations being integrated into other areas of policy.

This should be done in connection with new legislation regarding which the government “ought to ensure that a separate calculation of the proposed legislation’s climate consequences should be made”.

In addition, the Klimarådet climate council should be strengthened and become completely independent, while Denmark should be the driving force in international climate politics.

A rocky road
So far, there has been no comment from the relevant government ministers, including the environment minister, Lars Christian Lilleholt.

Since the apparatus for citizens petitions was put in place in January 2018, five have now received enough signatures to be brought before Parliament.

Of the other four, two were rejected outright and two progressed to a second reading.