Current Events- Danish energy consumption nears 50 percent sustainability

https://www.thelocal.dk/20230614/danish-energy-consumption-nears-50-percent-sustainability 

Written by Ritazau from the local DK

Hej alle! This is Julia taking a look at some recent sustainable efforts that can be found in Danish architecture and resource management. The first article I found describes the circumstance of the summer in which Danish energy has reached a point of almost 50% sustainability! This is absolutely incredible to see from the standpoint of an Environmental science major, because this is putting Denmark on the map as yet another Nordic country that is actively making the effort to hit  the 100% sustainable energy mark. Iceland and Norway currently hold leads on sustainability with Iceland having 87% renewable energy resources and Norway having 72%, but this isn't to say that Denmark won’t be making huge strides in the world of clean energy. According to the articles 45.6% of Danish energy has come from wind, solar, and biofuel energy and this is DOUBLE what it was 10 years ago. Needless to say, the effort is apparent and it is also clear that more sustainable movements are enriching Danish households and politics. “But we still have a huge job ahead of us. We need a shovel in the earth so that green energy gets us to our targeted climate ambitions and climate neutrality in 2045,” Ranis said.“That means that we must make a serious push on wind and solar power,”; this is a quote from a climate activist/ policy maker, who recognizes Denmark’s position in the Paris Agreement that sets Denmark to be carbon neutral by 2050 in order to slow down the effects of climate change on a 100 year perspective (because as you might have heard, the next few decades are beyond saving…). One such effort that Denmark is discussing is manufacturing 7x more offshore wind turbines in collaboration with other Baltic countries. This unity amongst separate lands in achieving clean energy and climate neutrality is inspiring from an American standpoint, and something that I hope to hear more about at the next UN Climate convention and  in the IPCC report for 2024. It is hard to watch countries choose sustainability, when it is something violently politicized in the states. This being said, I am curious to hear more about if Denmark and other Nordic countries have discussed water energy sources (considering it is EVERYWHERE) especially with the success of said energy in Iceland over the past few years.