Denmark, a country with a population of just over five million people, has been a success story in climate change mitigation not only in Europe but also the whole world.
For instance, climate action is a big priority for this Nordic country, which is a model for both developing nations like Kenya and the global economic powerhouses. So what makes this country tick, especially on climate change issues, and in which areas can a country like Kenya borrow?
It is estimated that 70 percent of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050. Urbanisation and an increase in commuting will challenge the transportation system and increase carbon dioxide emissions.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that air pollution contributes to seven million premature deaths every year, and around 80 percent of people in urban areas are exposed to air pollution levels exceeding recommended limits. Transportation is a major source of air pollution, particularly in the growing cities.
Denmark is leading the way in creating clean air solutions for shipping and vehicles while promoting public transportation and bicycles in urban areas to reduce traffic congestion and pollution.
Denmark holds a strong tradition for people from all layers of society to bike. This has become an integral part of the Danish story. More than 50 percent of the people who live and work in Copenhagen commute by bike every day. It also uses catalysts and scrubbers to clean smoke and exhaust from industries and incineration plants.
Steam venting from a geothermal power generating plant in Olkaria Kenya
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
By treating water as the valuable and vital resource that it is, Denmark has reduced consumption by almost 40 percent since 1980 and increased energy efficiency.
Danish water treatment solutions include UV disinfection systems, electrolysis technology, membrane technology for water purification and desalination of seawater, treatment technologies for stormwater runoff and nature-based solutions for improving the overall quality of our water environments.
The water supply in Denmark is highly decentralised with waterworks across the country. Quite uniquely, the country uses groundwater as its sole source of drinking water. As a result, only simple treatment is needed. Tap water is not chlorinated, thanks to a highly efficient distribution system where bacteria and other impurities are minimised.
The water is distributed in a sealed pipe system to the customers. This saves costs and eliminates the need for chlorine and other chemicals while minimising the risk of bacteria, resulting in a great taste and safety.
According to the UN, global water consumption will increase by up to 30 percent by 2020. To meet future demand, there is a need to focus on efficient water distribution. Non-revenue water or urban water loss is a major global challenge.
Between 25-50 percent of all distributed water globally is lost or never invoiced due to illegal connections, inaccurate billing systems, faulty metering, leakages, deteriorating infrastructure and wrong water pressure management, among others. Danish water utilities have managed to achieve a national non-revenue water average of eight percent.
Globally, less than half of all wastewater is collected and less than 20 percent of it is treated before it is released back into nature. This represents a great potential for wastewater optimisation. In Denmark, 95 percent of all wastewater is treated – and often to a higher standard than the legal requirements.
Globally, only about 50-60 percent of wastewater discharges comply with the required quality standards due to inadequate capacity. After decades of environmental challenges, Denmark has created a strong regulatory framework to minimise the impacts from wastewater discharge and ensure cleaning to the highest standard.
By 2030, more than half of the world’s population will face high water stress. Water conservation and efficiency will, therefore, be important.
For Denmark, the solution has been a combination of a strong political focus on reducing leakages in water pipes, compulsory use of water meters and taxes for both use and wastewater discharge as well as carrying out campaigns to encourage the use of water-saving devices.
As the global population increases so do the consumption of goods and the creation of waste. Successful waste management is about utilising the potential of waste by increasing recycling and reuse of materials while limiting the amount of waste that goes to landfills. Denmark has an ambitious national strategy that aims at recycling 50 percent more waste by 2020 and increasing the utilisation of waste as a resource.
In Denmark, strict regulations require companies and citizens to dispose of hazardous materials properly, keeping the environment safe, while leaving the safe treatment of waste to specialised companies.
Converting waste to heat and electricity at waste incineration plants. Each year, the Danish waste sector collects and processes 15 million tonnes of waste and the Danish waste-to-energy plants use the waste for heat and electricity production. Danish incineration plants are the cleanest and most efficient in the world, and they are part of the reason why less than five percent of the country’s waste goes to landfills.
In Denmark, the waste hierarchy provides a guiding principle for municipalities’ waste management strategies as priority is given to pre-treatment for reuse, recycling, alternative utilization such as incineration and finally disposal into landfills.
In Denmark, paper, cardboard, glass and food waste is separated, and the goal is to recycle 50 percent of the country’s household waste by 2022.
Reconciling economic growth with ambitious green policies has been Denmark’s hallmark for decades. From 1980, Denmark has managed to decouple economic growth from its overall energy consumption: Danish gross domestic product has increased by 100 percent while the energy consumption has only risen by six percent, proof that it is possible to create growth without using more energy.
Danish companies are building hybrid wind, solar and battery facilities, and bioenergy derived from anything including chicken litter to sugar cane, meaning Denmark has power 99.7 percent of the time.
In Denmark, low-temperature geothermal heat is used in district heating as one of many energy sources and Denmark is home to three geothermal energy facilities.
In 2015, less than 0.5 percent of production in Danish district heating was geothermal; however, the potential is estimated to be as high as 20-30 per cent of district heating in Denmark.
In 2019, wind energy in Denmark provided more than 47.2 percent of total electricity consumption. Denmark’s large-scale wind energy integration is made possible by a well-developed transmission infrastructure, capable of handling fluctuations. For example, the Danish grid is connected to the neighbouring countries, allowing for the import and export of energy during peak periods.
A geothermal power generating plant in Olkaria, Naivasha.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
The country is also home to 4.4 gigawatts of onshore wind energy and as the cost of the technology has dropped drastically, wind turbines are a highly cost-efficient way to produce electricity. Onshore wind energy is the cheapest source of energy in Denmark, and in many other parts of the world – outcompeting any fossil fuel.
Denmark was once dependent on imported oil and other fossil fuels. Today, more than 30 percent of its energy needs come from renewables.
Close to 70 percent of Denmark’s electricity consumption is based on renewable energy, enabled by a smart, flexible energy system that integrates systems across gas, electricity, thermal energy and transportation.
It is about securing an energy-efficient heating and cooling supply through a collective system from production to consumption.
The district cooling system replaces a traditional air-conditioning system by sending cold water through a network of pipes. By doing so, the system can reach an efficiency rate typically five or even up to 10 times that of traditional air-conditioning. In Copenhagen, the district cooling system uses seawater to cool buildings, reducing carbon emissions by up to 30,000 tonnes per year.
A district heating system utilises centrally produced energy to heat water, which is distributed through pipes to provide heat to local areas. The heat that otherwise has no or very low value is transformed into a high-value commodity in areas with high heat demand. Utilising surplus heat from energy production and ensuring systems integration between electricity and heat has increased the flexibility of the Danish energy system.
This is one of the key drivers for reduced energy consumption and carbon emissions from the energy sector.
Workers install solar panels on a building in Nairobi.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
Denmark also has smart buildings equipped with sensors for lighting, air quality, climate control, smart meters and energy management systems that enable automated, intelligent control of energy consumption in terms of energy savings, flexibility and comfort to the benefit of people and the climate.
The potential of intelligent buildings extends beyond the buildings themselves when they function as flexible components in a transforming energy system that offers still larger amounts of fluctuating energy sources.
Buildings account for 40 percent of global energy consumption and nearly the same share of carbon dioxide emissions. For decades, Denmark has focused on energy efficiency in buildings and energy-efficient solutions are widely implemented in both new-built, renovated and retrofitted housing, offices and public institutions across the nation.
As the number of powerful storms continues to increase, so does the need for preparing buildings to become more resilient to extreme weather events. This is essential to avoid costly damages to buildings and, ultimately, save lives. Denmark has used the lessons learned from previous extreme weather events to upgrade our national building code to promote measures that ensure more climate-resilient buildings.
Denmark has developed intelligent links between early warning systems and the management of stormwater. The country’s expertise comprises systems for modelling, flood risk mapping, monitoring and early warning, as well as solutions for retention, drainage, pumping and treatment of stormwater. The country has also developed several solutions for an effective emergency response to cloudbursts, storm surges and elevated water levels.
Denmark uses hydraulic models in the planning phase and implementing solutions for local rainwater retention, including subsurface infiltration beds, green roofs and permeable paving. This makes it possible to alleviate the pressure on the traditional sewerage system and bring down the risk of combined sewer overflows. Other solutions include the use of separate sewers for rain and sewage water and treating rainwater locally via roadside infiltration beds and sand traps.
