Climate
The climate is changing, and there is increasing focus across the world on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from production and consumption. Here you can find statistics on the development in Denmark’s emissions of greenhouse gases, the emission sources and the climate footprint of Danish consumption. You can also read about what we do as a society to reduce the emissions.
Emissions of greenhouse gases
When we, as a society, want to do something about climate change, our focus is on the emissions of greenhouse gases. An increasing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere contributes to the greenhouse effect, which is changing the planet’s climate system.
Greenhouse gas emissions in Denmark in 2023
Get more figures in Statbank Denmark on greenhouse gas emissions.
Denmark has a political goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70 per cent from 1990 to 2030. This target was adopted with the Danish Climate Act.
Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in Denmark
Note: Emissions in Denmark, excl. CO2 from biomass incineration, and emissions and uptake from soil and forests.
Source: www.statistikbanken.dk/drivhus and the Climate Act (in Danish)
International agreements and national targets most often measure the development since 1990. This key marker began with the Kyoto Protocol, which was the first agreement obligating countries to reduce total global emissions.
What are greenhouse gases?
The most important greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and F-gases (HFC, PFC, SF6 and NF3, used as a cooling agent, for example). An increasing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere contribute to the greenhouse effect, which is changing the planet’s climate system.
Greenhouse gases are emitted, for example, in connection with the burning of petrol and oil, from livestock and use of fertilizer and from cement production.
The individual greenhouse gases contribute in different ways to the greenhouse effect depending on their concentration and ability to absorb heat radiation. To be able to measure total emissions, they are converted to a common unit called CO2 equivalent.
Three ways to report greenhouse gas emissions
Emissions in Denmark are used to keep track of the development in relation to international climate targets, such as the reporting to the UN and the commitments of the Paris Agreement and Denmark’s national targets in the Climate Act.
In addition to the emissions in Denmark, Emissions from the Danish economy, incl. Danish transport operations abroad also include emissions from international transport, especially emissions from the oil used by Danish-run vessels that are bunkered (refuelled) abroad. The assessment allows us to analyse the relationship between different economic activities and their impact on the environment and the climate.
The Danish climate footprint is the emissions caused by Danish consumption and other final use – regardless if the emissions happen in Denmark or in other countries via import of goods to Denmark. In turn, emissions from production for Danish exports are not included. The climate footprint shows how Danish consumption contributes to global emissions of greenhouse gases.
Read an elaborate review of how greenhouse gas emissions are assessed (pdf in Danish).
You can learn more about Denmark’s path towards the target of reducing our emissions by 70 per cent by 2030 on the website of the Danish Council on Climate Change (mainly in Danish): Klimarådet.
If you are looking for information on climate, climate change and the effects of climate change on our planet, you can find further information on a climate topic page by the Danish Meteorological Institute (in Danish): DMIs temaside om klima.
Economic growth and emissions
Denmark has seen economic growth (an increase in GDP) almost every year since 1990. The only exceptions being the financial crisis and COVID-19. The greenhouse gas emissions from the Danish economy have not increased at the same rate as the growth in the economy. After 2006, emissions have generally been declining. A major part of the decline in greenhouse gas emissions is due to the green transition, which here is especially focused on the transition to renewable energy and the implementation of energy efficiency measures. However, it is a contributory factor that the structure of the Danish economy has changed over the period, so that manufacturing plays a less significant role and services a more prominent role.
Economic growth (GDP) and greenhouse gas emissions (index 1990=100)
Get more figures in Statbank Denmark on economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions (TEMA9001)
Note: Emission from the Danish economy, incl. Danish transport operations abroad, excl. CO2 from biomass incineration and emissions and uptake from soil and forests.
The environmental-economic accounts
The environmental-economic accounts are a set of internationally comparable accounts highlighting the interaction between the environment and the economy. The environmental-economic accounts provide a basis for examining areas such as green growth, energy consumption, natural resources and society’s expenditure on protection of the environment and nature.
Sources of emissions
The Danish greenhouse gas emissions come from a number of activities associated with production and consumption: This could be, for example, from agricultural production, energy production and manufacturing or from the consumption by families. As the Danish economy has a high level of activity in transport abroad, a major share of total emissions come from Danish transport operations abroad. How we manage our land use - for agricultural crops or forests - also has an effect on our emissions.
Greenhouse gas emissions from companies
The biggest reduction in emissions is in the industry utility services, which includes for example, power plants and wind turbines.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the industry with the highest emissions in Denmark. This industry’s share of the corporate sector’s total emissions has increased since 1990, as emissions have declined at a significantly higher rate in other industries.
Other companies cover, for example, trade and transport, construction, public administration and services, and these account for approximately a quarter of emissions from the corporate sector.
Emissions from different industries
Get more figures in Statbank Denmark on greenhouse gas emissions (TEMA9005)
Note: Emissions in Denmark, excl. CO2 from biomass incineration, and emissions and uptake from soil and forests.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
Agriculture contributes with approximately 95 per cent of the emissions from the industry agriculture, forestry and fishing. The greenhouse gas emissions from this industry are distributed on methane, nitrous oxide and CO2. The methane emissions are mainly from livestock, whereas nitrous oxide is mainly from nitrogenous fertiliser. The CO2 accounted for by the industry agriculture, forestry and fishing comes mainly from energy consumption and liming of agricultural soil. Emissions of nitrous oxide as well as CO2 from agriculture have been declining since 1990, whereas emissions of methane have been more or less constant.
Get more figures in Statbank Denmark on the emissions from agriculture, forestry and fishing (TEMA9010)
Energy supply
A major part of greenhouse gas emissions come from the production and consumption of fossil energy. Denmark’s total production of energy is measured in PJ, which is short for petajoule and is used to measure energy contents, thus facilitating comparison across energy types. Denmark’s energy production consists of oil, natural gas and renewable energy, such as biomass, wind power and solar power.
Denmark’s total energy consumption has been more or less constant since 1990. For a period between the late 1990s and the mid-2010s, Denmark was self-sufficient in energy. In later years, Denmark has imported energy to cover the consumption.
Production of primary energy and gross energy in Denmark
Note: The energy consumption is stated without Danish transport operations abroad.
Sources: www.statistikbanken.dk/ene2HO and www.statistikbanken.dk/ene3H
Manufacturing industries
The manufacturing industries account for 16 per cent of total emissions from the corporate sector. Within the manufacturing industries, it is especially the manufacture of plastic, glass and concrete that contributes to the emissions of greenhouse gases. This has to do with energy-intensive processes and with CO2 being released from the limestone applied in the manufacture of cement.
Emissions from the Danish economy, incl. Danish transport operations abroad
Whether the greenhouse gas emissions have declined since 1990 depends on whether we include emissions from Danish transport operations abroad. Emissions from Danish transport operations abroad are not included in the compilation of emissions in Denmark; whereas they are included in the environmental-economic accounts (see factbox).
Greenhouse gas emissions by industry. 2022
Source: www.statistikbanken.dk/DRIVHUS
Emissions from families
Note: Emissions excl. CO2 from the households’ biomass incineration, such as wood pellets and firewood.
The emissions from family car driving has been fairly constant since 1990, even though the number of cars on the roads has increased. This is owing to the cars becoming increasingly energy efficient. Read more in the article Flere biler trods grønne visioner (pdf in Danish). With the declining emissions from electricity and district heating, CO2 from driving now accounts for a significantly higher share of the emissions from families’ energy consumption since 1990.
The decline in the emissions in 2020 is mainly due to less driving because people were working from home during COVID-19.
Emissions and uptake from soil and forests
Parts of the emissions come from the growing of crops and other use of Denmark’s land areas. At the same time, forests absorb and bind part of the CO2 emissions. The total greenhouse gas emissions and the uptake from soil and forests are called LULUCF (Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry).
Net emissions from soil and forests (LULUCF)
Greenhouse gas emissions and uptake from soil and forests (LULUCF)
Emissions and binding of greenhouse gases caused by changes in the amount of carbon stored in soil and biomass are often referred to as LULUCF. This is an acronym for ’Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry’. The combined contribution from soil and forests may be positive or negative. LULUCF is not included in any other graphs on this page. Read more at Danish Centre for Environment and Energy (DCE) at Aarhus University.
The danish climate footprint
Experimental statistics
The climate footprint shows how Danish consumption contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions. The Danish climate footprint is the emissions caused by consumption in Danish households, the public sector and Danish investments – regardless if the emissions happen in Denmark or in other countries via imports of goods to Denmark. In turn, emissions from production for Danish exports are not included.The Danish climate footprint 2022
Note: The climate footprint of Danish consumption covers all final use, which means consumption in Danish households and the public sector as well as Danish investments.
Get more figures in Statbank Denmark on the Danish climate footprint.
Danish consumption has a bigger climate footprint abroad than in Denmark, and the share of emissions abroad is increasing.
The Danish climate footprint in Denmark and the rest of the world
The Danish climate footprint outside Denmark
Danish consumption leaves the biggest foreign climate footprint in China. Outside Europe, Danish consumption leaves a footprint particularly in USA and India, while in Europe, the emissions are mainly in Germany and Poland.
Top-10 countries affected by the climate footprint of our imports
You can read more about the Danish climate footprint in the analysis (in Danish) Dansk forbrug sætter i høj grad sit klimaaftryk i udlandet.
The Danish climate footprint is estimated in collaboration with the Danish Energy Agency. If you want to find further information on Denmark’s climate footprint, you can visit Danish Energy Agency’s Global Reports.
How to estimate the climate footprint
The climate footprint is calculated by linking an input-output model for the Danish economy with a multi-regional environmental-economic input-output (MRIO) model, which covers the whole world. The Danish model calculates emissions in Denmark that can be linked with Danish consumption and investments. The model also determines the volume of imports resulting from Danish consumption and investments. Next, the international input-output model EXIOBASE is used to calculate emissions in the rest of the world caused by Danish imports.
Read further about the calculation of the Danish climate footprint in the Documentation of statistics.
The calculations involve a number of assumptions and estimates and are subject to significant uncertainty, especially for the emissions abroad. The underlying data in EXIOBASE is a combination of official statistics, projections and reconciliation procedures. For that reason, the calculations of the climate footprint should be considered as experimental statistics.
Læs mere om beregningen af det danske klimaaftryk i Documentation of statistics.
Der laves en række antagelser og skøn i beregningerne, og der er en betydelig usikkerhed forbundet med dem, særligt for udledningerne i udlandet. Datagrundlaget i EXIOBASE er en kombination af officiel statistik, fremskrivninger og afstemninger. Beregningerne af klimaaftrykket er derfor at betragte som eksperimentel statistics.
Efforts to reduce emissions
A series of different initiatives help reduce greenhouse gas emissions – for example, when fossil fuels are phased out and replaced with renewable energy, and the manufacturing industries produce more without increasing CO2 emissions.
Renewable energy
A major part of the decline in greenhouse gas emissions is due to the transition to renewable energy such as wind power, solar power and biomass.
Denmark’s consumption of renewable energy has grown many times as big as in 1990.
The Danish production of renewable energy has not kept up with the increasing consumption. This means that the consumption of renewable energy is higher than the production of energy in Denmark. The remaining amount is imported from other countries and consists mainly of imported wood pellets and to a lesser degree wood chips, firewood, biofuel and biodegradable waste etc.
Consumption and production of renewable energy
Note: Net imports of electricity (which may be produced from renewable sources) are not included in the consumption of renewable energy.
Source: www.statistikbanken.dk/ene2HO
Biomass
The increase in renewable energy production comes especially from biomass. Biomass is, for example, straw, wood pellets or organic waste, which we burn to use the energy. The emission from biomass incineration has more than quadrupled since 1990.
When biomass is incinerated, it emits CO2. However, the amount of CO2 emitted was stored in the plants while they were growing. If you plant a corresponding amount of new trees, they will store new CO2 in time. There are diverging views on how CO2 from biomass incineration should be incorporated in the CO2 emission accounts.
These emissions are often left out based on the assumption that they are neutral, because a corresponding amount of CO2 will be absorbed as new trees grow. This is practice in the reporting to the UN, for example.
Emission of CO2 from biomass incineration
The figures on greenhouse gas emission otherwise presented on this page do not include CO2 emissions from biomass incineration, e.g. wood pellets and firewood.
In the environmental-economic accounts (see factbox), the emissions are included on equal terms with other emissions, but they have been assessed separately, so that you can include them or exclude them, depending on the purpose.
You can also read more about biomass in the energy production in the article Danmarks forbrug af biomasse til energi holder historisk højt niveau (in Danish).
Less emission per DKK value added
Part of the green transition is making companies more efficient, which means that it will be possible to generate just as much or more value without causing higher greenhouse gas emissions.
One way of measuring the efficiency of companies is to define an indicator of emission per unit of added value. If the value of the indicator declines over time, it means that the companies have created added value without increasing emissions to the same extent. Altogether, all industries in Denmark have become more emission efficient since 1990. Among other things, this is owing to more efficient processes, energy savings and phasing out of fossil fuels, but also that industries with low emissions in proportion to value added (such as services) have grown more than industries with high emissions in proportion to value added (such as mining and quarrying).
Environmental goods and services with climate purposes
Electric cars
Energy taxes
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Statistics Denmark reports on the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and on our SDG platform, you can see a vast number of indicators showing how Denmark is doing in terms of fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals.
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Statistics Denmark reports on the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and on our SDG platform, you can see a vast number of indicators showing how Denmark is doing in terms of fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals.
International comparisons
In proportion to the global greenhouse gas emissions, the Danish emissions only constitute a very small part. Obviously, the emissions of large countries with a large population are different from those of small countries such as Denmark. Big countries and economies, such as China and USA, are also the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases.
Source: Data from Climate Watch via Our World in Data, available at Our World in Data - Greenhouse gas emissions
Instead of looking at the greenhouse gas emissions of individual countries, you can look at the average emissions per capita.
The average emissions per capita in Denmark are slightly lower than the EU average. In the EU, the highest emissions per capita are found in Luxembourg, whereas Sweden have the lowest due to their high production of non-fossil energy from hydropower, for example.
Renewable energy in selected countries
If we compare the share of energy consumption that comes from renewable energy sources in Denmark with that of the rest of the world, Denmark has a relatively high share. However, in comparison with Norway and Sweden, Denmark has a low share.
There are also major differences in the type of renewable energy. While biomass and electricity from wind turbines are predominant in Denmark, and hydropower is predominant in Sweden, the high share of renewable energy production in Brazil is based on the incineration of sugar cane.
Share of the energy consumption that comes from renewable energy sources
Get more figures in Statbank Denmark on renewable energy share of energy consumption (TEMA9003)
Note: Exclusive of energy consumption from Danish transport operations abroad.
Source: OECD, IEA World Energy Statistics and Balances.
At Eurostat’s topic page on climate change, you can find further information on climate change and international data for comparison and for putting the Danish figures into perspective.
Contact person for this theme page