Bloomberg
Denmark needs to adopt a number of emergency measures, including higher carbon taxes, if it’s to reach a goal of drastically cutting emissions by 2030, a government-appointed climate council said in a new report.
The country needs the additional steps to achieve target of reducing emissions by 70% compared with the level 40 years earlier, the council said on Monday. It also recommends that Denmark impose a half-way goal of cutting emissions by 50-54% by 2025.
The Social Democrat government, which won last year’s election on a pledge to boost the welfare state and fight income inequality, is preparing for parliamentary talks on how to achieve its climate goals. The Social Liberals, a member of the ruling bloc, has threatened to pull its support if the government doesn’t produce a viable plan by June 5.
Denmark has already cut its carbon emissions by 38% compared with 1990, which is the base year set by the United Nations. At the current rate, the country is on track to reduce CO2 by 45% in 2030, assuming it passes no new climate legislation.