The little Scandinavian country of Denmark is showing a huge resolve to do its part to bring climate change under control. The parliament of Denmark last month unanimously passed a far-reaching premier climate law aiming to reduce the entire nation’s carbon footprint by seventy percent by 2030, and then to make the country a carbon neutral state no later than 2050.
Some, both inside and outside Denmark, are calling the new legislation draconian because it mandates that once every 5 years the Danish government has to set newer and stricter emission standards across the board for all fossil fuel users — including, but not limited to — industry, housing, energy, agriculture, forestry, and especially transportation. The Danish Minister of Energy and Climate will be held accountable for enforcing the emission standards every five years, and if he or she falls down on the job the Danish parliament can have that person removed from office without any further ado.
Other European countries have not been as willing to legislate towards a carbon neutrality goal by 5050. It remains to be seen if Denmark’s new law will stifle initiative and bring down the country’s gross domestic production index, which, in turn, could lead to widespread layoffs and runaway inflation.