Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
directives; consequently, when agreements are made within the European
Union in regard to climate change mitigation strategies or EU energy policy,
Denmark is obligated to harmonize domestic policy to support EU initiatives.
For example, in 2001 the European Union announced a renewable energy direc-
tive that targeted 20% contribution from renewable energy to the EU electricity
grid by 2010.
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Consequently, Denmark was obliged to draft national policy for
supporting this directive. herefore, even if a degree of antipathy were to exist
in regard to renewable energy in Denmark, the force of an EU directive would
generally be suicient to elevate the probability of compliance.
4.6.2 Governing Party Ideology
In the late 1970s, when wind power was being investigated as a possible
solution to overreliance on oil-ired power, the Danish government was led
by a Social Democrat, Anker Jorgensen. Jorgensen's coalition supported
active involvement of the government in inluencing social welfare, and
indeed it was subsequently criticized for policies that produced large state
budget deicits. Accordingly, it should come as no surprise that in response
to the oil crises of the 1970s, the government was prepared to play an active
role in facilitating a transition away from oil-ired electricity generation.
Interestingly, when policy was being formulated to respond to the oil cri-
ses, there was a great deal of support for nuclear power development both
within Denmark's parliament and within the ruling coalition.
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In fact many
analysts believe that it was only due to well-coordinated social opposition to
nuclear power that Denmark did not adopt a more rigorous nuclear power
development agenda. he capacity of social dissent to sway political behavior
in this manner underscores the high level of responsiveness to popular opin-
ion that characterizes the nation's unique parliamentary system.
In 1982, the Jorgensen administration was succeeded by a coalition led
by Conservative party leader, Poul Schlüter, who would lead the govern-
ment until 1993. Even though the political ideology of Schlüter's admin-
istration was further right on the political spectrum, government inancial
support for wind power development actually increased substantially dur-
ing this period. his highlights an important characteristic of Danish poli-
tics—although there may be a number of parties vying for political power
in Denmark, most support slightly left-of-center policies in order to appeal
to the Danish voter's high environmental ethic. Even parties that purport
to embrace right-wing policies—such as the Liberal-led coalition of Anders
Fogh Rasmussen that came to power in 2001—have eventually been forced
to backtrack on radical changes to energy policy.
