Innovation through Collaboration
Sheri Givens is CEO of the Smart Electric Power Alliance.
From the moment the pilot announced the airplane’s descent into Copenhagen, I knew I was entering a special country focused on clean energy and climate change mitigation. With large offshore wind turbines in the adjacent sparkling waters, Denmark juts out from Germany as a beacon between the United Kingdom and its neighboring Nordic countries amidst the North and Baltic Seas.
Over forty percent of Denmark’s energy comes from wind, a world record for producing twice as much wind energy per capita as the next OECD runner-up. The Danish government taxes cars heavily, and biking is extremely common, with over seventy-five hundred miles of bike lanes available for green, safe commuting.
More than fifty percent of Copenhageners cycle to and from work every day. Though Denmark only produces 0.1 percent of the Earth’s greenhouse gas emissions, it has decided that its place in history will be helping its neighbors achieve their green goals. Denmark joined the European Union in 1973, and consistently ranks among the happiest countries in the world. With a population of 5.9 million and comprising four hundred forty-four islands (only seventy-six of which are inhabited), Denmark is a global clean energy leader despite its small size.