EU cooperation on green transition

Global cooperation

The policy framework of Danish energy and climate policies are widely affected by EU legislation. Common targets, such as reductions of greenhouse gas emissions, promoting of renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements are set at EU level and implemented and supplemented by specific measures in the EU legislation.

Green Deal 

At the end of 2019, the European Commission adopted the Green Deal as the leading strategy for Europe to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.

The European Green Deal consist and points to a number of political initiatives which the European Commission intends to propose. This involves new legislation in areas such as renewable energy, agriculture, EU ETS, renovation of buildings, biodiversity, circular economy, sustainable finance and innovation.

The European Green Deal is based on three principles:

  1. there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050 
  2. economic growth is decoupled from resource use
  3. no person and no place is left behind

The Green Deal. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called the adoption of the European Green Deal a “man-on-the-moon”-moment for Europe as the strategy will make Europe the first climate-neutral continent in the world.

Green deal statement

In 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Denmark authored a Green Deal Statement to ensure that the European Green Deal would maintain to be a central part of EU’s recovery after COVID-19. 20 Member States have signed the statement.

On the 24th of May 2020, the Danish Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities, Dan Jørgensen, gathered 14 European countries to discuss how renewable energy and energy efficiency can play a key role in the economic recovery after COVID-19.

Read the Green Deal Statement here.

Fit for 55 package

To achieve a climate-neutral Europe by 2050, the Commission has tabled a Fit for 55 package to reduce emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030.

The Fit for 55 package covers a number of areas, e.g.:

  • A revision of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), including CORSIA, maritime transport, buildings and road transport
  • A revision of the Effort Sharing Regulation
  • A revision of the LULUCF Regulation
  • A revision of the Directive of Renewable Energy
  • A revision of the Directive of Energy Efficiency
  • A revision of the Taxation Directive
  • A proposal for a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
  • A proposal for ReFuelEU Aviation
  • A proposal for Fuel EU Maritime

Meetings of the Council of Ministers

The Danish Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities participates in the Council formations, which covers climate issues (the Environment Council), energy and telecommunication issues (Transport, Telecommunication and Energy  TTE).

 

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