A shared future - balanced development - Short version
6. Environmental concerns must be taken into account in all sector policies and initiatives
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Integration of environmental concerns into all policies and decision-making processes in all sectors is a prerequisite for achieving sustainable development. These sectors include central, and local levels of government, business and other sectors of society. |
Denmark has been working towards integrating environmental concerns into all policies and decisions for many years. Description and assessment of the environmental impacts associated with draft legislation, government proposals and large-scale engineering works is an important step in ensuring that the decision-making process takes into account possible environmental effects. Over the past decades, environmental action plans have been drawn up in a variety of policy areas. The Danish national strategy for sustainable development focuses on strengthening the process of integrating environmental concerns into policies and decision-making processes within seven selected sectors.
Food production - agriculture and fisheries
The Danish food producers must supply consumers with safe and healthy food. At the same time food producers must consider a viable production basis, animal welfare, the environment, profitability, and saleability.
Healthy food is essential for the population's quality of life and health. Healthy food and sustainable production require that we make demands regarding the production methods used in agriculture and fisheries.
Pesticides and fertilisers have negative effects on the environment. Since 1994, over 200 pesticides associated with unacceptable risks to human health, the environment or groundwater were either banned or their use was severely curtailed. Pesticides, which threaten groundwater quality, will also be banned in the future.The Danish government will work towards minimisation of pesticide use within the next few years. Excessive use of pesticides must be stopped, and new, specific reduction goals must be set.Within the international context, the Danish government will focus on pesticide over-use. Furthermore, the Danish government is advocating a restrictive assessment of pesticide use both in Denmark and internationally.
Denmark's Action Plan on the Aquatic Environment II is expected to ensure that nitrogen emissions from agriculture are reduced by 100,000 metric tons per year before the end of 2003.The Danish government will invite parliamentary parties to negotiate an Action Plan on the Aquatic Environment III, which will instigate a number of initiatives aimed at further reducing ammonia emissions from agriculture. The loss of nitrates, phosphorus, and ammonia via agricultural processes must be limited to a level where there is no nuisance to people or negative effects on aquatic environments or vulnerable types of nature, and which promotes richly varied plant and animal life. Livestock production must be assessed and regulated based on local environmental and cultural factors. Genetically modified organisms must be assessed individually, based on the precautionary principle and ethical considerations.The government will prepare a strategy for co-existence of GMO crops, conventional crops, and organic crops.
Sustainable fisheries are a prerequisite for preserving the ocean's fish stocks and ecosystems, and thus also for the sector's future development. A number of the stocks economically important for Denmark are overfished. Therefore, prompt action is required to limit fishing of endangered stocks, to adjust fish quotas to sustainable levels, and to limit unintentional by-catches and discards.The endangered fish stocks and the Danish fisheries are dependent upon both Danish compliance, as well as that of its neighbouring countries. Therefore, Denmark must promote environmental considerations in the fisheries sector nationally as well as internationally. New tools and technologies must be developed, the capacity of the fisheries fleet must be adjusted, and fish quotas must be administered to reduce the pressure on fish stocks. Improved fishing gear can reduce unintentional bycatches and reduce the pressure on the ocean bed and the ecosystem in general.
Forestry
Forests are one of society's welfare assets. Forests provide opportunities for outdoor activities in natural environments and they provide habitat for numerous plants and animals. Forests contribute to protection of groundwater and sequester CO2. Not least, forests provide a number of wood products.
A new Danish forestry programme will be finalised in 2002.The programme aims at promoting environmentally friendly forestry with more emphasis on nature's principles.This will entail a greater number of native trees. A more robust forest in the future will permit pesticide use to be phased-out in stateowned forests.Via information and evidence of success in state-owned forests it will be possible to limit pesticide use in private forests as well.
The forested area of Denmark should increase so that forest landscapes cover 20 - 25 percent of the Danish landscape in the course of one tree generation (80-100 years). New, robust forests must be planted after the storm in 1999.The new forests will meet a number of needs including creating a framework for biodiversity and ensuring a physical connection between existing forest and nature areas which are presently surrounded by open land. Dialogue, information, guidance, and voluntary agreements are key aspects of the future forestry policy.
Industry, trade and services
An important step towards sustainable development is the promotion of environmentally friendly markets where environmental considerations are important parameters of competition.We must achieve both cleaner production and cleaner products.This will require new solutions and innovation, as well as product and technology development.
It continues to be an important task to set environmental considerations higher on the agenda when businesses make decisions regarding production. Companies must incorporate environmental concerns in all aspects of their business and take responsibility for both their production and their products in the entire life-cycle of the product.The use of eco-labelling, environmental product declarations, consumer information, environmental accounting, and environmental management allow businesses to use the environment actively as a competition parameter. It is an important goal to promote voluntary efforts on the part of businesses to become more environmentally friendly. Legislation and measures must be adjusted according to technological and market developments so that businesses can increase environmental protection voluntarily.
An important tool is environmentally friendly public procurement, which can contribute to increased demands for environmentally friendly products. Environmental considerations must to a greater degree be taken into account when determining international product standards. More eco-labelled products and a good knowledge of the markets will motivate the producers and consumers to change their behaviour.
The Danish government established a think tank wich will produe a green technological to encourage environmental innovation in Denmark with participants from a number of large Danish businesses, universities, nongovernment organisations (NGO's) and investors
Transport
The population must have access to safe and efficient transport. At the same time respect for the environment must be a central aspect of transport policies.The overall goal within the transport sector is to decouple growth in the economy from growth in transport-related environmental and health problems.
In the last decade, concerns of environmental pressures have been integrated into transport policies both in Denmark and the EU; this must continue.This means that the transport sector must contribute its fair share in the effort to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.The Danish government's longterm goal for 2030 is the reduction of the transport sector CO2 emissions by 25 percent, compared to 1988 levels. More effective energy consumption will contribute to achieving this target. A special effort has been made in urban areas to minimise the effects of traffic on city and town environments. Air pollution from NOx's and hydrocarbons must be reduced to 60 percent by 2010 compared to 1988 levels.The Danish government will consider how best to promote the use of particle filters on trucks and busses. Dieselpowered passenger cars are more energy-efficient than petrol-powered cars and produce lower CO2 emissions, however, they produce higher emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particles.
Noise from road traffic is a nuisance for many people.The Danish government has appointed a road traffic group which will prepare preliminary plans for a strategy dealing with noise from road traffic. This strategy will include information regarding the feasibility of achieving a significant reduction in the number of residences severely affected by road noise. It must be safer to travel in traffic. It is a goal of the Danish government that the number of traffic casualties (fatal and serious injuries) be reduced by 40 per cent before 2012.
Technological development is an import tool in the development of environmentally friendly transport.Transport prices must, to a greater degree than today, reflect the real costs the transport sector imposes on society. The Danish government will establish a committee, which will investigate the possibility of restructuring vehicle registration taxes to make purchases of environmentally friendly vehicles advantageous. Furthermore, the government will research road-pricing programmes, which are being promoted in other countries, and analyse their potential effects in a Danish context.
Energy
Energy consumption and energy supply are important aspects of sustainable development.The Danish government will develop marketoriented measures that will ensure stable, cost-effective energy supplies while promoting environmental goals.
Within the energy sector, Denmark has decoupled economic growth from negative environmental consequences.The Danish economy has grown by approximately 27 per cent since 1988, while energy consumption for the same period has only increased by about two per cent.
The Danish government will liberalise the Danish electricity and gas markets in order to improve energy production efficiency, reduce energy prices, and ensure that energy is produced with less pressure on the environment. With its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 21 percent compared to 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012, Denmark will make a significant contribution to the Kyoto Protocol.
The Danish government will investigate how cost-effective and flexible regulation of the electrical sector's CO2 emissions can be established when the present programme involving CO2 quotas expires at the end of 2003. Denmark supports the European Commission's proposal of a European quota system. The expansion of renewable energy supplies must continue as renewable energy also contributes to a cost-effective fulfilment of environmental goals. It may also be possible to reduce CO2 emissions by converting from coal to natural-gas-based electrical production. Nuclear energy is not considered a sustainable energy source.
Expedient efforts in the energy sector are best achieved through international cooperation. This will ensure that efforts provide the most cost-effective solution for society. Additionally, international cooperation ensures a level playing field in terms of energy measures for businesses operating in individual countries. Denmark supports the use of flexible mechanisms advocated in the Kyoto Protocol.
Urban and housing development
The Danish government will promote sustainable development of housing, buildings, and towns. Residents and users must participate actively in this development to ensure that urban areas are vibrant and diverse with a broad range of housing types, businesses, institutions, and green areas. Urban areas must be organised and administered with the goal of significantly reducing resource consumption and pressures on the environment.
In 2002, the Danish government will present its policy for development in Denmark, which will ensure and promote diversity, economic progress, and a better environment. New efforts will target depressed urban areas and housing districts. Urban renewal must be balanced between building new and preserving old, while emphasising quality, exceptional architecture, urban ecology, and better recreation opportunities. Heritage buildings and environments worthy of preservation must be safeguarded. Older business districts, former manufacturing sites and harbour areas must be utilised to a greater extent, for example by redeveloping them for other uses. Urban facilities and functions, which are associated with increased traffic, must be situated so that access to them is advantageous via public transport.
It is advantageous if urban areas expand into areas that are already urbanised, though perhaps disused or under-used. Expansion of towns in rural areas will continue to be possible, however the local community must be preserved and strengthened.