	Home > Media room > Danish Policies > “The Danish example” – the way to an energy efficient and energy friendly economy

Resource: Photos, links and videos

Government Contact

Send

“The Danish example” – the way to an energy efficient and energy friendly economy

Danish experience shows that through persistent and active energy policy focus on enhanced energy efficiency, it is possible to sustain high economic growth and at the same time reduce fossil fuel dependency and protect the environment.

In terms of production, Denmark is one of the most efficient users of energy compared with the other EU Member States and OECD countries. This also applies to CO2 emissions in relation to production. Despite relatively low energy consumption, Denmark is among the best in the EU and the OECD at continuously reducing its energy dependency and CO2 emissions. In an international perspective, Denmark therefore belongs to a group of countries that have relatively low energy and CO2 intensities, while over the past more than 25 years, being able to achieve above-average reductions in energy and CO2 intensity.

Since 1980, the Danish economy has grown by 78%, while energy consumption has remained more or less constant, and CO2 emissions have been reduced. This development reflects an increase in energy and CO2 efficiency. A majority of countries have seen underlying increases in their energy and CO2 efficiencies, but the Danish increase is among the greatest in the OECD area.
Furthermore, the composition of energy consumption in Denmark has changed significantly as a consequence of energy policy measures to promote the use of renewable energy.
Renewable energy today makes up more than 19% of final energy consumption.

This has increased the security of energy supply and has contributed considerably to fulfilling Denmark’s climate goals. From 1990 to 2007, economic activity in Denmark increased by
more than 45%, while CO2 emissions (adjusted for fluctuations in the weather and in crossborder exchange in electricity) were reduced by more than 13%.

This paper describes how Denmark has been able to sustain economic growth while energy consumption has remained almost unchanged and CO2 emissions have dropped.

Full text: “The Danish example” – the way to an energy efficient
and energy friendly economy [PDF]