An independent adviser to the Danish government has recommended ending any future oil and gas exploration in the Danish North Sea, saying it would hurt Denmark’s ambition as a front-runner on fighting climate change.
The recommendation comes as Denmark, which has set one of the most ambitious climate change targets in the world, is assessing whether to go ahead with an already announced North Sea oil and gas tender.
“The credibility of Denmark as a pioneer (in climate change) can quickly erode if we continue to expand our oil and gas activities,” the Danish Council on Climate Change said in a report on Thursday. The government asked for the report and recommendation before making a decision.
Danish lawmakers have agreed to target a 70% reduction in emissions before 2030 and to be fossil fuel-free by 2050.
Details on how exactly this will be achieved are still to be negotiated and passed by parliament, but the Social Democratic minority government’s left-leaning allies are pushing for a ban of future oil and gas exploration to speed up phasing out of fossil fuels.
“A Danish halt for further exploration in the North Sea could send a strong signal in international climate politics and may even encourage other countries to follow suit,” the council said.
Denmark produced around 30.8 million barrels of oil and just over 3 billion cubic meter gas in 2019 and is the second-biggest oil producer in the European Union after Britain but is still dwarfed by neighboring Norway on output.
The Danish Energy Agency (DEA) said in February it had received applications from four companies – Ardent Oil, Lundin , MOL and Total – in the so-called eighth licensing round. If the licenses are awarded and discoveries made, they could stretch oil production in the Danish North Sea beyond 2050.
