What The Denmark | Danish Culture for Expats, Internationals and Danes

Green Transition: how Denmark became a low-carbon, sustainable society

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Episode notes

In the 1970s, Denmark was like most other Western countries when it came to generating energy: the majority came from high-polluting, non-renewable resources. 

When oil crises hit after OPEC switched off oil supply, Denmark, and indeed much of the world, was hit with huge economic and social pain.

Once the flow oil came back, many countries began to return to their economies running on fossil fuels and, to some extent, it was business as usual.

But not in Denmark…

In this episode, we take a look at Denmark’s “Green Transition” - how (and why) the country took the hard path towards creating a low-carbon, resource-efficient society.

Sam speaks with Finn Mortensen the Executive Director of State of Green, a Danish public-private partnership that exists to support and explain Denmark’s transition “from black to green”.

The two talk about:

  • Why Denmark (unlike other countries) acted on transitioning away from “black” energy in the aftermath of the 1970s oil crisis
  • How Denmark’s public and private sectors collaborated to ensure a just transition in former oil cities
  • The Danish psyche of resource preservation demonstrated by toddlers turning off the taps
  • An alternative history of Denmark discovering the oil deposits of Norway
  • The mistakes Denmark made, and what they have learned from them


If you’re looking at the current energy crisis and seeking inspiration for how countries can move from being reliant on fossil fuels (controlled by unpredictable governments) then give this episode a listen!


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This episode is sponsored by Talent to Denmark's "State of Denmark" campaign.

Denmark is actively looking to attract international talent to move to the country. If you're interested to learn more about jobs in (one of) the happiest countries in the world, head to www.state-of-denmark.com/wtd


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