rapport
Status report

Status Outlook 2022

Denmark’s national climate targets and international obligations
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Introduction, conclusions and recommendations

The 2020 Danish Climate Act sets the annual climate policy cycle. The first event on the annual cycle is the status outlook prepared by the Danish Council on Climate Change (DCCC). The outlook centers on the Danish climate targets for 2025, 2030 and 2050. The DCCC makes an assessment regarding the likelihood of reaching the targets, focus on central areas for climate policy, and relevant political measures to bring Denmark closer to reaching its targets. A central element of the report is the DCCC’s statutory assessment of whether the Danish government's climate efforts have demonstrated how to reach the target of a 70 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The Danish Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities makes a similar assessment as part of the government’s annual Climate Programme every September.

An important element for debate is what Denmark should do to reach its climate targets. Therefore, the DCCC delves into the most current climate policy areas and sets the framework for efforts towards net-zero emissions by no later than 2050. Danish climate policy takes place on an international stage, where the EU in particular has an influence on the frameworks and options for Danish climate efforts. This report therefore focuses in particular on EU climate policy. The report also addresses global climate efforts, as the most recent climate conference, COP26, clearly showed that there is still a long way to go before reaching the goal in the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.