Clean air - Danish efforts
Danish energy policy
The major cause of emissions of air pollutants in Denmark is the use of fossils fuels - i.e. of coal, oil and gas products. Therefore the emissions are closely related to the national energy policy that has been implemented in a series of action plans.
From coal to oil and back to coal
Traditionally coal has been the dominating source of energy in Denmark, but in the years after the second world war oil played an increasing role and contributed in the beginning of the 1970's about 90%. With the energy crisis in 1973 and the dramatically increasing oil prices it became evident that Denmark must be made less vulnerable to changes in supply security and energy prices. In the first energy plan from 1976 (Energy Policy 1976) the main objective was to reduce our dependence on oil, to direct the supply towards natural gas and nuclear power, but also to use coal and renewable energy. The immediate result was a change to coal in the electricity production and application of natural gas and renewable resources. The introduction of nuclear power was postponed. At the same time the increase in energy consumption was slowed down by means of energy saving campaigns and economic instruments.
Environmental issues played a modest role, and an investigation in 1980 concluded that even with an increase in coal consumption by a factor of five from 1975 to 1989 the problems could be handled. The question of climate changes was not addressed at all.
Danish gas and oil
An energy plan in 1981 was based on domestic production of gas and oil and continued efforts to save energy, i.a. for space heating, including an extension of district heating based on combined power-heat production. Still, however, the main objectives were supply security and economic efficiency.
Efficient energy production and energy savings are essential elements in the abatement of air pollution. The transport sector is a critical area in Danish environment and energy policy. Attempts to limit car traffic by increasing use of public means of transport and bicycles have so far had modest success.
In 1985, after years of discussion, the Danish Parliament definitively decided to remove nuclear power from Danish energy policy. In the same year an international conference on greenhouse effect, climate change and ecosystems created a political understanding that emissions of carbon dioxide could be the overwhelming problem of the future.
The Brundtland Report and what followed
On April 27th 1987, the Brundtland Commission published its report Our Common Future. Earlier technological development was seen as a threat to the environment and had been discussed in terms of limits to growth. Now development was seen as a necessary prerequisite in the fight against poverty and environmental degradation. It should, however, be sustainable. As a preliminary goal it was proposed that energy consumption per capita in the industrialised countries should be halved within 40 years (i.e. before 2027), thus enabling a 30% increase in the developing countries.
The environment in focus
As a direct consequence of the Brundtland Report the Energy 2000 Action Plan for Sustainable Development was published in 1990. Now the environment was seriously set in focus. The energy consumption, as it was in 1988, should be reduced by nearly 15% before 2005, and emissions of carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide by 20, 60 and 50% respectively. Energy 2000, however, did not address the transport sector, as it was recognised that the sector was facing a necessary and unavoidable development, and, therefore, a specific action plan was drawn up: the government's transport plan of action for environment and development. The energy consumption and emissions of carbon dioxide should only be stabilised before 2005 and then reduced by 25% before 2030. As appeared later, even this target has not been easy to reach. Emissions of nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbon should be reduced by 40% before 2000, by 60% before 2010 and further up to 2030. Emissions of particles should be halved before 2010 and be further reduced up to 2030.
Energy consumption and economic growth
From the end of 1950's and up to 1970 the Danish gross energy consumption more
than doubled. since then it has by and large been stabilised, although the mix of energy
sources has changed drastically. Since 1980 the production of renewable energy has more
than tripled. The largest increase has been for wind power.
The gross domestic product has increased much more than the energy consumption. The
reason is partly a change towards less energy consuming activities, but also more
efficient production of electricity and district heating, with strongly increased use of
combined power and heat production (about a doubling since 1980). In addition, energy is
used more efficiently by insulation of buildings, more effective domestic appliances etc.
By and large we have managed to decouple economic growth and the ensuing welfare from the
increase in energy production and the related pollution.
(Source: Danish Energy Agency)
The threat of climate changes
The most recent official energy plan, Energy 21 from 1996, focuses on emissions of carbon dioxide and maintains the goal of a 20% reduction in 2005. At the same time the concept ecological footprint was introduced in the debate, and a stabilisation of the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide of 450 ppm was recommended. By this it was recognised that much more extensive reductions of carbon dioxide would be necessary. A decrease in the total energy consumption of about 17% up to 2030 is assumed. At the same time an almost complete phase-out of coal, a nearly unchanged use of oil and gas and a large increase in renewable energy sources were assumed. More than half of the electricity and district heat production shall be based on renewable energy in 2030.
The environmental target for the development in the energy sector is dominated by the national climate commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. The declared goal therefore focuses on reduction of emissions of carbon dioxide. It is obvious, however, that by and large any reduction in the use of fossil fuels will result in a reduction of emissions of a series of other more direct air pollutants - notably sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbons.