Denmark

There is support for the green transition in Denmark, with a focus on goals, costs, benefits, social balances and effectiveness. Denmark is among the Member States with the highest shares of value added and employment in the environmental goods and service sector. This development is supported by levels of environmental taxation above the EU averages and a strong performance on the Eco-Innovation Index.

The implementation of shared EU regulations and goals is supported by targeted efforts to stimulate the development of activities and solutions in the private sector, with the objectives of strengthening competitiveness and creating jobs in synergy with improvements in environmental performance.

A key component is the use of public–private dialogue and partnerships to encourage inclusion, conversation and ownership of environmental policy and solutions. In 2024, the Danish government convened the leading labour union and industry, agriculture and environmental groups to sign a historic green tripartite agreement for a long-term transformation of Danish food and agricultural production, which included a target share of at least 20% for protected natural area. The agreement was subsequently approved by the Danish parliament. In addition, Denmark has introduced the multi-stakeholder Biodiversity Partnership, where business organisations, non-governmental organisations, knowledge institutions and trade unions alike have joined forces to develop recommendations for businesses on how to operationalise efficient biodiversity action.

Denmark performs well in comparison with many other countries, and is progressing towards achieving most of the UN sustainable development goals related to environmental sustainability. However, the gaps between current performance and targets in some areas are significant, including in areas related to nature and sustainable production and consumption.

Climate and the environment were among the most important issues during the 2022 election for the Danish parliament, topping the list of topics covered the most by public media. In general, there seems to have been public support for the green transition, and climate and the environment were some of the most important issues, particularly among young voters.

The food system

In 2021, the Danish government introduced a binding reduction target for the agricultural and forestry sector of a 55–65% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2030 compared with 1990 (as set out in the agreement on a green transition of the agricultural sector). Subsidy schemes under the Danish common agricultural policy strategic plan supporting climate-friendly and environmentally friendly agricultural practices, as well as several other measures, were introduced to reduce GHG emissions and nitrogen leaching from agriculture. The national-level Plant-based Food Grant was established as part of the agreement, with the objective of helping the transition to a green economy for land use and food consumption in Denmark.

Research, innovation and the development of new technologies will be vital for sustainable transformation. In 2022 and 2023, approximately DKK 269 million was allocated to a new research programme on farm-based emissions. The programme focuses on ways to estimate farm-level nitrogen and GHG emissions and aims to contribute to the development of a new model for nitrogen regulation and support on-farm climate accounting.

In 2021, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration launched a new set of official dietary guidelines. The guidelines issue guidance on not only how to eat healthier, but also how to eat meals with a lower climate footprint. The aim of the dietary guidelines is for Danes to eat less meat, to eat more plant-rich foods and to choose legumes.

In 2022, the Danish government took the first steps towards establishing a voluntary climate label for food products to guide consumers towards less carbon-intensive food items and encourage product development in this direction. The current focus of this work is obtaining data for the climate footprints of food items, on which the label will be based.

In March 2024, the Danish government launched a strategy for reducing food waste in Denmark. It has four tracks and 15 initiatives that include the involvement of stakeholders from all levels of the food value chain. Other initiatives focus on raising awareness, conducting research, increasing the accessibility of existing tools and knowledge and simplifying regulations to support food business operators’ efforts to reduce food waste. The overall aim is to actively contribute to achieving UN sustainable development goal 12.3 on halving food waste by 2030 and the expected EU food waste reduction targets.

More recently, on 24 June 2024, the Danish government and key national stakeholders concluded the green tripartite agreement on measures to reduce non-energy GHG emissions from agriculture by 1.8–2.6 Mt of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030. Measures include the introduction of a national GHG tax on selected agricultural emissions and the establishment of a new Green Acreage Fund of approximately DKK 40 billion to support afforestation and the restoration of peatland, among other actions. The agreement was adopted in the Danish parliament on 18 November 2024.

The energy system

Danish electricity production is becoming greener and, at the end of 2023, total electricity production from Danish wind and solar power covered 62.8%of total Danish electricity usage. The current projection indicates that electricity production in Denmark will become gradually less dependent on fossil fuels. By 2032, fossil fuel consumption for Danish power generation is expected to be solely from waste incineration and oil consumption for balancing and back-up generation.

In 2023, electricity production capacity was expanded, with the addition of 170 MW of offshore wind, 35 MW of onshore wind and 361 MW of solar capacity. The amount of new solar and wind power capacity installed was thus lower in 2023 than in 2022 and 2021, when 1 502 MW and 1 278 MW of new capacity were installed, respectively. Part of the reason for this may be that the grid connection of a number of planned renewable energy plants was brought forward to 2022, due to the connection contribution that was to be introduced for 2023 onwards, and the uncertainty at that time about how much the contribution would be. It is anticipated that the pace of renewable energy plant production and connection will have picked up speed again in 2024 and 2025.

In December 2023, the Danish government, together with a wide range of other parties, entered into a climate agreement on more green energy on land. The agreement paves the way for the state to play an active role in the planning of larger terrestrial energy parks. In the energy parks, opportunities for the co-location of, for example, Power-to-X plants will contribute to the green fuels of the future. In addition, the agreement ensures that neighbours and local communities will receive a larger share of the gains when renewable energy plants are set up.

The additional agreement on tender frameworks for 6 GW of offshore wind power and the Bornholm Energy Island from May 2023 set out the framework for several tenders for offshore wind in Denmark. The deadline for the submission of bids for the first 3 GW of the 6 GW offshore wind power capacity was in December 2024. No bids were received.In January 2025, as a resolute response to the unsuccessful tender, the Danish government cancelled the tender for the last 3 GW of the 6 GW and announced that was ready to issue new tenders for 2–3 GW of offshore wind power capacity. The terms of the tenders were made more attractive to the market, including state support and more flexibility. A political agreement was reached in May 2025.

In order to speed up the green transition and break down barriers, the Danish government has established the National Energy Crisis Staff. It functions as a new working method and community, in which the government invites key stakeholders into the solution space.

The mobility system

Use of private transport in Denmark has increased over the last 10 years. The number of private cars in absolute terms increased from 2 278 000 vehicles in 2014 to 2 828 000 vehicles in 2024 and the per capita value increased from 486.1 cars per 1 000 inhabitants in 2014 to 543.2 cars per 1 000 inhabitants in 2024. Developments in the use of collective transport are more mixed, as the use of trains decreased from 6 795 passenger-kilometres in 2014 to 6 376 passenger-kilometres in 2022, while the use of buses increased from 6 567 passenger-kilometres in 2014 to 8 195 passenger-kilometres in 2022. The Danish parliament and government reached an agreement on a comprehensive infrastructure plan for 2035 to create coherence between various parts of the national transit system. The plan will improve collective transport facilities and develop the road network, while promoting the green transition.

Furthermore, the optimisation of freight transport through automated logistics hubs and digitalisation is expected to contribute to a more efficient and resource-efficient use of infrastructure. Political focus on carbon dioxide reductions and energy savings has reduced the use of energy for car transportation. In 2018, 0.7% of new cars were electric cars, while in 2024 this number was 49.3%. This was supported by a political decision from 2020 to exempt electric cars from the general registration tax. The spread of charging stations across Denmark and Europe has also promoted this development. A tax will, however, be phased in gradually in the coming years. The growth in the number of electric cars is expected to continue.

Air pollution from transport is decreasing due to the development of European standards and the introduction of environmental zones in five large municipalities in Denmark. Since 1 September 2008, there have been environmental zones in Denmark for diesel-powered vehicles.

The environmental zones have been expanded to include more types of vehicles. In 2020, vans were included and, in 2023, passenger cars were added as well, which means that all diesel vehicles must be equipped with a particulate filter to access the environmental zones in Denmark. The environmental zones have been introduced in the areas with the greatest traffic loads and where the most people are exposed to air pollution, with the aim of improving public health by reducing particle emissions into the air.

An evaluation of the effects that the environmental zone requirements have on traffic, emissions, air quality and the significance of the health effects and associated societal costs has recently been published in a study by Aarhus University. The air quality in the cities studied has improved, and the number of older diesel vehicles without particle filters has gradually decreased.

The improved air quality has resulted in small but positive health effects and socioeconomic savings. Total particle emissions from the exhaust of diesel passenger cars in the various environmental zones, as the before–after comparison in 2024 demonstrates, show a 23.5% reduction overall.