When the SVM government had to agree on its new government basis, it raised the bar for Danish climate ambitions to the highest level so far.
In 2050, Denmark should not just reduce emissions by 100 percent -- but 110 percent. But since then there have been few concrete strategies to realize the new goal.
The government has not yet written it into the climate act, just as no strategy has been presented for how Denmark will become climate positive in 26 years. This is what the Climate Council calls for in a new analysis.
- We must have that, because it requires long-term decisions, which we have to take now to realistically reach the goal in 2050, says the Climate Council's chairman, Peter Møllgaard.
In order to achieve a 110 percent reduction, it is required that Denmark absorbs more CO2 than is emitted. Here, afforestation is an obvious tool, but it takes decades before planted seeds absorb CO2 like adult trees.
Also, the necessary technologies require a long time to be developed.
- It requires an effort already today so that we can achieve it in 2050.
New roads are required
The Climate Council has identified opportunities to achieve a 90 percent reduction by 2050. The last part will require new roads.
- But it doesn't come by itself, says Peter Møllgaard.
The council therefore points to the need for a combination of fundamental behavioral changes and structural changes in animal production as well as the use of our land and the advent of new technologies.
Climate Minister Lars Aagaard (M) welcomes the Climate Council's focus on the 2050 target. He reports that the government's new 110 percent target will be written into the Climate Act in the first half of 2025 – at the same time as a new reduction target for 2035 will be adopted.
However, it can be difficult to create a crystal-clear strategy for the 2050 target, says Lars Aagaard.
- You can have a picture of what the world will look like in 2050, but a lot can happen before then.
He points out that they are already working on several of the tools and technologies that will be decisive in being able to absorb more CO2 than is emitted in 2050.
Lars Aagaard thus rejects that the 2050 target is just a paper exercise.
- The further out in time, the more uncertain it is, but we have technologies we are sure we will use in 2050. We know we will need CO2 - capture and pyrolysis. We know that we will need much more renewable energy, and we know that we will need to expand the forest area, and we are doing that.
/ritzau/
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