knowledge of what should be the long-term objectives for initiatives taken;
	knowledge of the current and politically binding objectives of the various action plans;
	knowledge of the behaviour and commitment expected of the different stakeholders.

The long-term objectives for initiatives in this field are based on the intention of confining the load to the ecological space available, accepting only as much pollution as the ecocycle is capable of converting, implying that resource use either must not exceed the regenerative rate of such resources or that such use must not impair the living conditions of future generations.

A. The greenhouse effect

The present, politically resolved aim with respect to greenhouse gases under the UN Climate Convention takes the form of a declaration of intent to halt the growth of greenhouse gases contained in the atmosphere at levels of concentration that do not bring about hazardous climatic changes. Calculations made on the basis of scenarios set by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have indicated that if the CO₂ concentration is to be stabilised at a level of 450 ppmv (parts per million of volume) - which, realistically speaking, must be considered the maximum improvement attainable - discharge levels from the group of industrialised countries will have to be cut by 50% by the year 2030 in relation to 1990 values. This is assuming that technology transfers will enable the same reductions to be made in developing countries within a period of 20-30 years. The conclusions of the UN's Climate Panel are also binding on Denmark.

The present Danish political objective includes a target from 1990 ("Energy 2000") of reducing Danish CO₂ emissions by 20% by the year 2005 (in relation to 1988). This objective also covers the target set for the transport sector of stabilising the 2005 level at that of 1988. This means considerable reductions will be required in other parts of the energy sector if the overall aim is to be achieved. For the transport sector, there is an additional target of reducing CO₂ emissions by 25% by the year 2030.

As can be seen, considerable disagreement prevails today between the long-term global aim and the politically determined objectives in Denmark. In 1997, a new protocol is to be adopted under the Climate Convention. As things look at the moment, new binding objectives and subsidiary targets will be laid down for various greenhouse gases and sectors. In the international climate negotiations, Denmark will work in accordance with the Danish Parliament's decision of 30 April 1996 to promote objectives - and provide the conditions - for highly developed industrialised countries to reduce their CO₂ emissions by 50% by 2030 in relation to 1990.

Furthermore, 1997 will see Danish negotiations with industry to eliminate HFCs over a 10-year period. HFCs are powerful greenhouse gases whose use in Denmark accounts for 2% of the contribution to the greenhouse effect by CO₂.

Behavioural expectations
Danish objectives for the reduction of CO₂ emissions are based on a great many Danish initiatives and expectations with respect to behaviour, some of the most important of which are described below: "Energy 21" and the government's action plan for CO₂ emissions from the transport sector.

The individual household and the public sector should economise more on electricity consumption by buying appliances that consume less electricity, by discontinuing the use of electricity for heating and by improving building insulation standards. This behaviour is to be encouraged in particular by introducing a voluntary energy labelling scheme, by promoting energy labelling in the European Union and by introducing grants e.g. for conversion to district heating or natural gas, as well as by means of statutory requirements governing energy labelling and the preparation of energy conservation plans for buildings.

Consumers should choose more energy-efficient cars on the basis of such initiatives as information campaigns and possibly a labelling scheme, and the authorities will advocate the conclusion of an agreement between the European Union and the European car industry to reduce CO₂ emissions from new cars.

The haulage trade should become more energy-efficient (and less of an environmental load), especially by making more rational use of trucks and vans. A voluntary agreement may be relevant in this context.

The transport trade is a sector where many aspects that are difficult to regulate have a serious impact in terms of the environmental load from the sector. That is why there is such a significant need to focus on the consequences for transport of decisions made by individuals, public authorities or private enterprises. In their planning, national and regional authorities should focus on improving the scope for these stakeholders to display more appropriate behaviour in terms of transport.

B. Depletion of the ozone layer

The political goals for reductions for industrialised countries and developing countries have been laid down separately in the Montreal Protocol under the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), most recently streamlined in 1995. Since the global reduction aims are much slacker for developing countries and since considerable growth can be expected in such countries' use of ozone-depleting substances, these countries will contribute much more to the problem before they begin to scale down their use.

The Montreal Protocol is due for revision again in 1997 when the rules for phasing-out by the developing countries in particular are expected to be tightened. Denmark will advocate this in the coming international negotiations. One example for Denmark might be a tighter schedule for the elimination of HCFCs.

As mentioned, the Danish initiative targeted at the use of ozone-depleting substances is based on considerably stricter reduction targets. The final phasing-out of the use of HCFCs, trichlorethane and methyl bromide, is impending. These substances are about to be replaced by others already known to nature. Hydrocarbons will replace CFC and HCFC in aerosols, for the foaming of polyurethane foam and as a coolant in domestic refrigerators. Water will be used to clean electronic devices and natural gases to replace halon as a fire extinguishant. However, the greenhouse gas known as HFC has replaced CFC and HCFC for certain purposes - especially as a coolant and solvent. Natural cooling agents (ammonia, hydrocarbons, water and CO₂) are expected to replace HCFC within the next 10 years. HFC for foaming polyurethane is expected to be replaced by CO₂.

Under an agreement concluded by the stakeholders in this field on 1 January 1997, old refrigerators and freezers are to be collected with a view to draining them of ozone-depleting substances and having these substances incinerated.

Behavioural expectations
As can be seen from the above, future technologies for substituting ozone-depleting substances have already been introduced. In the remaining fields, new clean technology should be developed and tried out in co-operation between producers and users.

With respect to the collection of old refrigerators and freezers, it is up to the dealers and municipalities in particular to make sure that handling is managed correctly.

Finally, Danish companies within the industry should work to export the clean technology solutions they have developed in these areas and to transfer know-how to developing countries.

C. Photochemical oxidation

The long-term regional objective for photochemical oxidation includes the elimination of human injury and damage to ecosystems. However, there is no simple way of translating this objective into specific requirements for reducing emissions of the different contributory substances that form part of a complex interaction. Suffice it to say that the damage to vegetation and personal injury caused during smog incidents has shown that the environment's capacity to withstand degrading loads has already been exceeded.

As a regional objective for reductions, the Geneva Convention under the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) states that national emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from all sources should be reduced to 30% by the year 2000 in relation to 1985. The European Union is preparing a directive to limit the VOC content of paints, varnishes and car-care products.

Over and above UNECE's reduction objectives, Denmark has laid down national objectives in two fields. "Traffic 2005" is an action plan containing an objective to reduce VOC from traffic 40% by the year 2000 and 60% by 2010. The Danish VOC agreement from 1995 lays down reduction objectives for VOC emissions from a number of industries and individual companies. The overall effect of carrying out the agreement will be a 40% reduction in Danish industry's VOC emissions by the year 2000 in relation to the 1988 level. These objectives are to be achieved by means of stricter exhaust requirements for different categories of car, stricter fuel requirements and a limit on the amount escaping in the form of petrol fumes during storage, distribution and filling.

There are no current objectives for an overall reduction in the use of organic solvents or the use of solvent-based products - including, in particular, paints and varnishes for buildings as well as cleaning products.

Behavioural expectations
The objectives outlined in "Traffic 2005" are to be achieved primarily by means of a number of initiatives addressing car manufacturing and the production and distribution of fuels. The individual citizen's scope for bringing his or her influence to bear relates to the planning of transport needs and to the choice of transport mode, including increasing use of public transport systems.

Efforts to reduce industry's organic solvent emissions include changes to a number of industrial processes and the use of alternative products with a lower content of solvents in such industries as: cars, furniture, food and allied, paint and varnish, and graphics.

With respect to the use of solvent-based products, both private and public purchasers as well as construction painters, consumers and retailers should ask for the low-solvent alternatives that do exist, especially in paint and varnish and in cleaning agents.

D. Nutrient load

The long-term objective for the supply of nutrients through water and air is to reduce them to a level at which no significant man-made impact on the environment is generated. This level cannot be determined off-hand, but a calculation of the share of total nutrient supplies caused by humans may give some indication. The man-made supply of phosphorus to lakes and the nitrogen supply to marine areas through air and water currently account for 2/3 and over 90%, respectively, of the total load. Groundwater cavity stores are judged to be less sensitive to nitrogen enrichment than surface water. Man-made nitrogen supplies from the air to rural ecosystems account for 95% of the nitrogen oxides supply and 85% of the ammonia supply.

The OSPAR Convention lays down a regional reduction objective of 50% for the nutrient salt load on surface water over the period 1985-95. In conjunction with the EU Nitrate Directive, the whole of Denmark has been designated one vulnerable area, where by very definition the groundwater contains or may eventually contain more than 50 mg nitrate/litre. The ensuing commitments are fulfilled by way of the Danish Aquatic Environment Plan and the Action Plan for Sustainable Farming, which together with the "Government's Ten-point Programme for Protecting Denmark's Groundwater and Drinking-Water" form the three/two most important national action plans/strategies with respect to nutrient salt pollution of the aquatic environment.

The objective outlined in the Action Plan for Sustainable Farming is a 50% reduction of the nitrogen emissions from farms by the year 2000 in relation to 1985. The ten-point programme, stemming from an objective stating that Denmark's water supply should continue to be based on pollution-free groundwater, contains an objective to the effect that nitrate pollution is to be halved by the year 2000 and efforts are to be made to protect groundwater against leaching nitrate by designating special drinking-water areas and by increasing the amount of afforestation and bioremediation.

Another facet of the groundwater strategy is that regional plans are to designate local groundwater resources of particular importance in ensuring the continued supply of drinking-water. The Action Plan for Sustainable Farming advocates protecting the groundwater in particularly sensitive rural areas through insistence on reduced fertilisation. Such areas are to be designated by the county authorities. Furthermore, the recipient quality plans prepared by the counties draw up specific objectives for the quality of freshwater and marine surface waters.

Behavioural expectations
Now that the Danish wastewater treatment plants have been expanded in accordance with the Aquatic Environment Plan, farmers and local authorities in particular are being called upon to make a special effort to combat the nutrient load on surface water and groundwater. Regional authorities are to designate the different types of area described above and farmers have to comply with a number of rules concerning the storage and application of manure from domestic animals.

Furthermore, support is available to farmers taking agricultural land out of production and running their farm more extensively in different ways. Last but not least, nutrients fed to animals should not exceed their needs and work should be done to improve the utilisation of domestic animal manure at every stage from pen to plant. Ongoing work in the farming community to promote the integration of environmental management and resource management in farming and to develop new feed standards are important initiatives in this context.

Additional improvements to the state of lakes (and streams) would call for initiatives aimed at rainwater-generated outfalls, waste water from scarcely populated areas and emissions from fish farms.

E. Acidification

The long-term regional objective for acidification is based on a reduction of the load to a level (the critical load) which in the short or long term will not cause acidification of the water or soil, or cause acidification damage to plants. Translating this objective into specific figures for the Scandinavian countries means cutting SO₂ and NO_x depositions by 95% while ammonia depositions need to be reduced by 85%.

The internationally determined political objectives in this area concern SO₂ and NO_x only. Under the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), a new sulphur protocol from 1994 makes it clear that the difference between the deposition and the critical load in the individual member countries must be reduced by 60% by the year 2000. UNECE's NO_x protocol commits Denmark to a 30% reduction over the 1986-98 period.

As a result of UNECE's sulphur protocol, the Danish objective for reducing sulphur emissions totals 80% for the 1980-2000 period. For NO_x, "Traffic 2005" stipulates that by the year 2000 the transport sector must achieve a reduction of 40%, and by 2010 a reduction of 60%, viewed in relation to 1988.

Behavioural expectations
With respect to SO₂ and NO_x, the regulation of power station emissions is very strict under the present quota scheme and, with respect to SO₂, even more so owing to a sulphur tax. The power stations will have to establish additional combustion engineering and flue-gas purification facilities in order to reach the goals set.

Apart from this, the NO_x emission reduction will be achieved particularly by stipulating stricter standards for NO_x emissions from cars and by modifying transport behaviour (choice of need and mode), as well as by possibly converting buses and coaches to natural gas as a propellant.

F. Use and spread of substances hazardous to the environment and health

The long-term objective for the use of chemical substances and products is to have the impact of such substances on the environment and on human health reduced to a level where there is no gradual deterioration of the quality of the environment and the state of health.

The overall objective is to minimise the life-cycle impact of chemical substances on people and their load on the environment, whenever possible, by ensuring that the concentrations of chemical substances in the environment and people's exposure to such substances are reduced as much as possible.

Since some chemical substances are carried substantial distances through air and/or across water, a number of international agreements and conventions have been concluded in the chemical field on efforts to reduce/phase out the use of selected chemical substances and products. The "Chemicals Statement" contains a complete list of these agreements and of the chemical substances (including pesticides) covered by the agreements. Many of these substances are already banned in Denmark as can also be seen from the Chemicals Statement (Appendix 2 to the Statement).

Two political decisions are particularly relevant for the Danish initiatives. For one thing, it was decided at the most recent North Sea Conference in the autumn of 1995 that the participating countries should work to put an end to discharges of environmentally hazardous substances into the North Sea within a period of one generation. The conference declaration focuses on the fact that the biggest problem today is the loss of xenobiotics from diffuse sources while emphasising initiatives to develop less environmentally hazardous products as well as to substitute hazardous chemical substances. A Danish North Sea Action Plan is going to be prepared, embracing the Danish initiatives taken to ensure that this and other conference objectives are accomplished.

In November 1995, the Danish Parliament further adopted a motion for the adjournment of future environmental policy, in which the phasing out of xenobiotic substances is listed as a high-priority area. "The List of Undesirable Substances" issued by the Danish Ministry for Environment and Energy has been prepared as part of a follow-up to these decisions. The list is intended to contribute towards a more long-term perspective for Danish efforts to limit the use of substances degrading to the environment and health.

The "List of Undesirable Substances" specifies a total of some 150 substances. These substances have been selected either on the basis of a systematic examination of the available information, concluding that they impose a severe load on the environment and on health today owing to their dubious properties as they impact on health or the environment and being marketed in Denmark in volumes in excess of 100 tonnes a year, or because they have been selected as a target for special efforts, either in Denmark or in various international contexts, on the basis of information regarding the undesirable properties of such substances. The substances designated here are problematic, then.

Based on the "List of Undesirable Substances", a number of assays will be made to pinpoint the substances initially considered to be inadequately regulated.

With respect to pesticides, the Danish Pesticide Action Plan of 1986 lays down the objective of halving the amount of active substances used and the frequency of dusting before 1997 together with the goal of eliminating those pesticides representing the biggest environmental and health hazard.

Behavioural expectations
If the chemical load on the environment and on humans is to be reduced in accordance with the above-mentioned objectives, the focus must be on all stages of the life-cycle of chemical substances, and the brunt of the effort must concentrate on replacing hazardous chemical substances by chemical substances with known, less hazardous properties. Secondarily, the problem must be solved by means of re-use, recycling, cleaning and/or dumping in controlled landfills, to ensure that the chemical substances are kept in closed systems and not spread unnecessarily. Of particular relevance in a product strategy context are measures for the increased provision and dissemination of knowledge about the properties of chemical substances and efforts to substitute hazardous chemical substances.

Manufacturers and buyers of products should pay special attention to the substances listed in the "List of Undesirable Substances" with a view to examining the potential for substitution. However, it is also important to note that the information given in the list on the applications of individual chemical substances is not exhaustive and that the chemical substances listed may well form part of product groups other than those mentioned.

The Danish EPA also publishes an "Effects List" comprising some 1,100 substances with undesirable properties, which are either present on the Danish market or are produced in large volumes in the European Union. The Effects List, which forms part of the basis for the "List of Undesirable Substances", contains a great number of substances which may not pose a problem today, not being in wide use, but which should be avoided for any large-scale applications, e.g. replacing other substances degrading to the environment and health, or for developing new products. This list should be used by producers and in some cases professional purchasers to ensure that alternatives to the undesirable substances identified have a less hazardous impact on health or the environment than the substances they are intended to replace.

A special effort should be made to effect substitutions to substances known not to pose any risk to the environment or to health.

In addition to making use of the above-mentioned possibilities and the list of hazardous substances, and different organisations and institutions that provide consumer guidance on environmental issues, producers, traders and consumers should generally ask for information on the contents and use of substances degrading to the environment and health.

The work to increase the amount of substitution includes developing products containing less of the chemical substances that are harmful to the environment and health, as well as ensuring that such products are in demand and supply.

If hazardous substances are substituted in connection with product development, the focus should not only be on the hazard associated with the alternatives but also on the overall effects on the life-cycle of the product in the event of product modifications. Substances whose effects on the environment and on health are unknown should be avoided as far as possible - especially if they resemble the undesirable substances in pure form.

From corporate work environment studies, a number of examples can be cited where analysing the use of chemical substances of the company has enabled the number of different substances to be reduced quite considerably, many substances being used more out of habit than for any functional reason.

The products developed should be made as widely available as possible. Large retail chains should establish a policy ensuring that less environmentally degrading alternatives are available on their shelves.

Professional as well as private buyers/consumers should ask for those products that are eco-labelled or indicated by buyer's environmental guidelines as ranking among the best alternatives. Such consumers would also benefit from examining and reducing the number of chemical substances, and they should be conscious of using products correctly - including correct dosing of the chemical substances.

G. Use of and effect on resources

The following is an outline of issues and environmental objectives linked to the use of and effect on renewable and non-renewable resources. Renewable and non-renewable resources are described under one heading, these two types of resources often being interchangeable, and the utilisation of resources is viewed globally, regionally or locally, depending on the market in which trading is going on. Metals, fossil fuels, Danish mineral resources, groundwater and the land - including the basis for the production of foodstuffs and timber as well as the basis for maintaining the existing biodiversity - are issues in particular focus. Lastly, the behavioural expectations are described for the resource issue as a whole.

Metals
Metals are a globally significant economic resource for which the world-wide supply horizon is the best immediate basis for pinpointing the essential problems. This entity can be calculated on the basis of currently known reserves whose exploitation is commercially viable, together with the present rate of consumption. Setting a 50-year or less limit on the supply horizon, the metals zinc, copper, nickel, lead and tin will be prioritised (20, 36, 50, 20 and 27 years, respectively).

For a great many special-purpose metals used in small quantities, there are no reliable data on annual production. This is because of trade interests. However, this makes it impossible to specify a supply horizon. What is possible, though, is to assess the relative contribution these products make to the drain on resources, e.g. by product comparisons based on existing knowledge of the total resources of these special metals.

Today, the five aforementioned metals are re-used in the order of 75 to 90%. The remainder is typically contained in more composite products or domestic waste, making it relatively difficult to access.

As described previously, it is not possible to set a sustainable level for the utilisation of metals. Setting an objective of reducing world-wide primary resource production by e.g. 50% in relation to the 1990 level by the year 2030, acknowledging the principle of equality, would mean having to cut back European consumption by 80-90%. Thus, the reduction target for Europe very much reflects the redistribution of consumption that equal access to resources would entail.

At the moment, there are no binding objectives concerning the Danish use of the world's metal resources. However, the action plan and strategies in the field of waste do include objectives to minimise the content of copper, nickel and lead in waste and to increase the recovery rate for such metals.

Fossil fuels
Economically speaking, fossil fuels are also considered highly important global resources. For the two most important ones - coal and oil - the supply horizon, based on current consumption, has been calculated as approx. 245 years and 45 years, respectively. The supply horizon for natural gas has been calculated as 66 years. Because of the special transport situation, natural gas should be considered a regional resource.

The biggest resource problem with respect to fossil fuels has to do with oil as it has the shortest supply horizon and is a higher-value resource, given that it has so many uses and - particularly within the transport sector - can scarcely be replaced in the short term.

The current Danish political objectives of relevance to the fossil fuels consumed by the energy and transport sectors have been described under the previous headings on the greenhouse effect and acidification as they address these environmental issues.

Land areas
Land areas should be considered primarily a regional resource. They constitute the basis of production for almost all our food, timber and paper pulp, some textiles and energy crops; and they must provide a basis for the different ecosystems and the plants and animal species contained in them.

The land area is also a limited and economically significant resource, so that there is often intrinsic competition between several of the above-mentioned uses of the land, both within a region and interregionally. The most important land resources economically with respect to production are made up of the fertile/arable land and areas suitable for grazing.

Sustainable land use presupposes that people's need for food, timber, bioenergy etc. can be satisfied regionally without reducing the expanse or fertility of the arable areas. At the same time, space must be provided to ensure stable ecosystems beyond the use and control of human beings, such as natural forests, meadows and heaths. Land use should further ensure that the quality of the environment - including the groundwater as well as soil quality, surface water, air quality and biodiversity - are not adversely affected.

With regard to farming areas, the current political objectives for overall land application are laid down mainly within the framework of the European Union's agricultural policy, which seeks to promote total farm production and farmers' earnings. In order to protect water catchment areas, future regional planning initiatives are expected to include the designation of areas of special drinking-water interest or particularly sensitive farming areas etc. for more extensive farming, set-aside or afforestation.

Recent years have seen the preparation of strategies and the setting of objectives in a number of areas relating to forestry, i.a. as a follow-up to the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, at which forests were one of the central issues discussed, and as a follow-up to the Helsinki Conference of Ministers in 1993, when four resolutions were passed, the two most important ones dealing with sustainable forestry and the protection of silvicultural biodiversity.

The 1992 UN Convention on Biological Diversity lays down the general, national rights to a country's own natural resources and commits countries to preparing national strategies in this field. In addition, a number of more specific international conventions have been made that address such issues as the preservation of the natural habitats of wildlife and plants, and the protection of particularly endangered species of plants and animals. Denmark is honouring this commitment, i.a. by designating sanctuaries and establishing wildlife reserves.

The keywords of national and international forest policy are thus sustainable forestry and protection of silvicultural biodiversity, bearing in mind that the total acreage of forestry in the world, and in the tropics in particular, has been declining for many years and that the health of the forests is deteriorating owing to air pollution.

In 1994, the Danish Ministry for Environment and Energy issued a strategy for sustainable forestry. The prime objective of the strategy is to make the development of the country's forests as a whole sustainable. Moreover, in 1987, the government adopted an objective that mentioned doubling the acreage of Danish forest in the course of 80-100 years.

The Danish Ministry for Environment and Energy's "Strategy for Danish Natural Forests and Other Forest Types Worthy of Preservation" from 1992 is intended to safeguard the biodiversity of the forest, aiming i.a. by no later than 2040 to have an area equal to 10% of Denmark's present forest acreage set aside as natural or virgin woodland etc. Finally, the Ministry has a strategy for the preservation of genetic resources in trees and bushes in Denmark from 1994.

Danish mineral resources
In addition to oil and natural gas, which are extracted from the North Sea, Denmark mainly extracts such raw materials as sand, gravel and stone - accounting for 80%, chalk and lime - accounting for 12%, and salt. Raw materials are extracted mainly from rural areas (26m m³ a year in 1990-93), but also from the seabed (5.6m m³ a year in 1990-93). The volume extracted varies with developments in society and in the building and construction industry. Approximately 1/3 of the consumption of sand, stone and gravel is used for mortar and for concrete casting while the remainder is used in building and construction projects. Chalk and lime are mainly used in cement and as a fertiliser. In fact, 7-8 tonnes a year are extracted per Dane!

There is no scarcity of any of the above-mentioned raw materials in Denmark as a whole, but for transport economy reasons raw materials are often best extracted at sites near to their intended place of use.

Since the raw material resources and their sites of application are unevenly distributed across the country, and since a number of different interests have to be catered for when designating extraction sites, local shortages may occur.

Extraction, sorting and transport of raw materials produces different types of impact on the environment and the landscape. Some are temporary - such as air pollution from heavy traffic, temporary lowering of the groundwater and nuisances related to excavation work. In addition, some permanent changes occur to the surface of the earth, depending on the post-processing carried out at the site in question.

The long-term objective for utilising Danish raw materials involves local supplies wherever this is made possible by balancing such supplies against other interests and always provided that there is no negative impact on the quality of the environment.

Raw material extraction on land and at sea is regulated by the Danish Raw Materials Act, the purpose of which is to ensure that nature and the environment are taken into consideration in connection with extraction projects, though no specific targets have been set up in this area. The provision of secondary raw materials by recycling waste from building and construction is covered by the action plan for waste and re-use, 1996-2000.

Freshwater
Freshwater is a regional or local resource as the cost of transporting water will soon be prohibitive in light of the price of water. However, a variety of imported products may generate considerable water consumption as a result of raw material production or manufacturing processes effected abroad (e.g. paper products or crops produced by irrigation).

Through the national monitoring program, an increase in the nitrate content of the groundwater has been documented for the period 1990-94. In 1994, 2/3 of the water utilities supplied water with a nitrate content of less than 5 mg/l. The recommended limit of 25 mg/l was complied with in 88% of all cases while in 3% of cases the water supplied had a nitrate content in excess of the permitted limit of 50 mg/l.

Also, the proportion of pesticides found in the groundwater would seem to indicate that this type of pollution is a serious problem. With respect to substances from waste dumps etc., which are alien to the environment, it is estimated that approx. 150 extraction wells have had to close down owing to their excessive content of such substances.

The long-term objective of the global freshwater supply is to meet people's freshwater requirements regionally without any negative impact on or deterioration in the quality of the environment.

The European Union's Drinking-Water Directive places a ceiling on the content of pesticides in drinking-water. This limit corresponds to the lowest level measurable at the time the value was fixed, which is to say that drinking-water should contain no pesticides at all. The EU Nitrate Directive designated the whole of Denmark a vulnerable area as the groundwater requires protection.

The current political objective for Denmark's water supply is to continue basing the water supply on unpolluted groundwater. The "Ten-point Programme for Protecting Denmark's Groundwater and Drinking-Water" lists a number of objectives and initiatives intended to ensure compliance with the overall targets:

Particularly harmful pesticides are to be eliminated. A pesticide tax - the use of other pesticides is to be cut by half. Nitrate pollution is to be cut by half by the year 2000. Organic farming is to be promoted. Protection of special drinking-water catchment areas. A new soil contamination act - waste dumps need to be removed. Increased afforestation and bioremediation are to protect the groundwater. Intensified efforts within the European Union. Better inspection of groundwater and drinking-water. Dialogue with farmers.

Behavioural expectations relating to the use of and impact on resources
Product manufacturers should be involved in ensuring that, whenever such products are subject to extensive use, the integral content of energy, renewable and non-renewable resources and freshwater in their products is calculated on a life-cycle basis, and that such information is provided when developing and marketing the products. The amount of water and energy consumed by the product during the consumption stage is also to be calculated and stated to the greatest possible extent.

When developing products, the possibility should be considered of reducing the consumption of resources over the life-cycle of the products - including the possibility of recycling the products, taking into account the contribution such products might make to other pressing environmental problems. Foodstuff producers and manufacturers of products based on timber, paper pulp, natural textiles and other non-food crops should demand raw materials from areas where the raw materials are produced with the greatest possible respect for the preservation of local ecosystems.

Clients and contractors should work to minimise the consumption of Danish mineral raw materials in building and construction projects and to use raw materials of the right quality for the right purpose, thereby economising on valuable resources. In addition, whenever possible, their work should be organised so as to facilitate the subsequent recycling of the raw materials involved in as clean a form as possible. The parties should further ensure that waste from building and construction projects is separated and preferably re-used in the area it originated from. Liming and whitewashing should be done on the basis of needs analyses.

Retailers should be more active in ensuring that products with the best possible resource properties are available in their product range and should help make it possible to identify these products.

Danish consumers should preferably demand products with prime resource properties, with respect to both the integral (pre-consumed) content of resources and to the products' possible depletion of resources at the time of use.

In addition, consumers should demand basic foodstuffs produced in Europe, generating the smallest possible load on nature per nutrition unit. Vegetable foodstuffs and foods produced under more extensive conditions (such as organic farming) are relevant in this context. With respect to foodstuffs and non-food products not produced in Europe, products should be demanded that have been grown hand in hand with maximum efforts to preserve local ecosystems. Finally, it goes without saying that energy and water-intensive products should be used with discretion. Thought should be given to whether the use of such a product can be avoided completely (e.g. tumble-dryers), and appliances should be turned off wherever possible while economising on energy in general.

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