Stockholm (NordSIP) – A leaked document to the Danish daily Politiken this week revealed a number of green proposals from various parties and ministries to be hashed out in the Autumn after parliament reconvenes after summer recess, anticipating a major political fight between the parties on funding for green initiatives.
Considering the government’s energy package and the opposition’s competing package, the stage is being set for a showdown ahead of a general election this year ensuring that the green agenda will be front and centre in the election no matter who carries the election.
Whereas the energy agreement was reached before the summer recess, this set of initiatives indicates that negotiations for a new broader climate package are on their way. Some of the initiatives in the leaked document are as follows:
- Passenger cars and vans must emit less CO2. The government supports a EU Commission proposal that cars and vans should achieve a 15 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2025 and a 30 per cent reduction by 2030.
- Better and more environmental zones. Requirements should be tightened to limit CO2 emissions in these areas, which should be extended to more cities beyond the 5 largest cities in the country that currently have them.
- Reduction of air pollution in major cities. State efforts to develop control methods and enforce rules on cleaning equipment deception should be reinforced, addressing a problem of ‘fraudulent’ cleaning equipment for lorries.
- More clean vehicles in the public sector. Public investment in more environmentally friendly vehicles should be increased according to existing EU directives to promote sustainable transport and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- A higher scrap premium for old diesel cares. The oldest, most polluting diesel cars would receive an increased scrapping allowance to encourage their replacement.
- The limitation of air pollution from wood burning. Municipalities must be able to demand a gradual phasing out and scrapping of the oldest wood burning stoves in order to reduce local air pollution.
- Stronger requirements for the spread of manure. How farmers spread livestock manure must be regulated so as to reduce the emission of ammonia. Farmers should receive the best available technologies and subsidies provided to the most climate-friendly ammonia technologies to reduce air pollution.
- More grants for climate-friendly agricultural technologies. Subsidies for environmental technologies that reduce greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions should be increased.
- Reduction of refrigerants with climate-hazardous gases. Calculations currently undertaken in kilograms should be calculated in CO2 to give a clearer picture of the pollution involved and increase filler limits for more climate-friendly gases.
- Additional benefits for sustainable food production. DKK 1.5 billion should be earmarked to investigate the environmental and climate footprint of various protein products to increase the incentive to produce and consume more environmental food.
- More electric power buses. A proposed grant of DKK 150 million over five years should be allocated to a subsidy pool to increase the conversion of city buses to electric power, reducing air pollution and replacing diesel and petrol-powered buses.
- Converting public transport in general to electrical. City buses and taxis should be powered by electricity by 2030.
- Increasing the mix of biofuel in gasoline and other fuels from 5.75 per cent to 8 per cent to meet the EU requirement of 10 per cent of energy consumption on roads is made up of renewable energy by 2020.
- Converting taxis to electrical by 2025. 50 per cent of functional taxis should be converted by 2025, with subsidies for the purchase and leasing of such cars.
- Reducing methane leakage from biogas plants. A framework should be erected between the relevant authorities and industries to ensure a well-documented reduction of leakage from Danish biogas plants.
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