Denmark passes ambitious 'Climate Act' making it illegal to ignore climate change

Denmark has passed a ‘Climate Act’ that makes it illegal to not act on climate change. The new law aims to ensure that the country reduces its carbon emission by 70 percent in 2030 compared to the 1990 levels. It further aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

The Climate Act enables the Danish government to sets targets for tackling global warming with a ten-year perspective. “The Climate Act is finally passed in the Parliament! A good day for the climate,” Denmark’s climate minister Dan Jørgensen tweeted with glee.

Under the law, the government is bound to produce a Climate Action Plan every year to show its efforts in meeting these targets. The plan must include concrete policies for reducing emissions in various sectors such as energy, housing, transportation agriculture. Jørgensen said that the government will be held accountable by the parliament if it fails to reach the target. It may also lead to the government to step down.

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Climate movement in Denmark

Last year in January, a group of non-profit organisations filed a petition urging Denmark to adopt a climate law. It was aimed at bringing the country in line with the Paris Agreement. Over 50,000 people had signed the petition within the first week.

While the petition was not supported by the Danish parliament, it generated a nationwide climate movement that the government could not ignore. As country’s the elections rolled around in June, climate act became a hot topic.

The political parties overbid each other in their climate ambitions in order to win the election, paving way for the implementation of the crucial law. The law also sends an important message to the rest of the world in stepping-up efforts to act upon climate change before.

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(Image credits: AP)