Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and five other ministers presented the so-called climate and air plan (klima- og luftudspil), officially titled ‘Together for a Greener Future’, consisting of 38 different measures aimed at seven overarching areas.

“The conservative government is ready to take part in the fight against polluting policies, so the future can be green,” Rasmussen said.

Elements of the plan, published by the Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate on Tuesday, include:

• Phasing out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030
• Zero carbon emissions and zero air pollution from buses in Danish cities by 2030
• 80 million kroner to be invested in charging stations for electric cars
• No registration fees for sustainable vehicles under the value of 400,000 kroner in 2019 and 2020
• No diesel or petrol-fuelled taxis by 2030
• Environmental zones in cities with increased requirements for transport and public vehicles
• ‘Climate-friendly’ asphalt to be used on public roads
• Fireplaces pre-dating the year 2000 must be removed on purchase of homes
• Climate labelling on food products
• Research to develop carbon capture and storage technologies for use in fields and forests

Minister for Energy, Utilities and Climate Lars Christian Lilleholt said at Tuesday’s press conference that the plan was ambitious but realistic.

“A strong effort is needed and that is what we are presenting today with this government proposal,” Lilleholt said according to DR’s report.

“We are facing a huge challenge nationally, globally and in general and that is why the government has put together this plan,” the minister added.

The climate plan was alluded to by Rasmussen during last week’s opening of parliament, when the PM announced the target of ending sales of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.

Further elements of the plan, including labelling food with climate information, were subsequently released. Meanwhile, the government confirmed Tuesday that scrapping all old-fashioned fireplaces used to heat homes, which have a high relative impact on the environment, was a part of its climate plan.

A fund of 46 million kroner will be used to subsidise homeowners who wish to replace woodburning stoves predating 2000 with newer, greener models, DR reports.

Electric cars are set to become cheaper, should the plan be given parliamentary backing. The government has proposed a one-year postponement of a planned increase in registration taxes on electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, while increasing tax deduction for green car owners to 40,000 kroner in 2019 and 77,500 kroner in 2020.

Uffe Elbæk, leader of the environmentalist Alternative party, wrote in a Twitter post that the government’s climate plan should have made more demands on the agricultural sector.

“When the government allows the agricultural sector to avoid contributing to green conversion, that is to the detriment of the industry itself. The longer we wait, the more expensive it will become. Instead, agriculture could take the lead and help develop climate solutions for Denmark and the rest of the world,” Elbæk wrote.

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