Unleashing ‘the green transition’

Learning from Denmark: To drive climate action and solutions, we need a unifying, positive language.

This is a call to rethink and reframe sustainability and climate action efforts in Australia. It is about taking stock, learning from the past, and setting a new course forward – a proactive and positive move towards change.

Recently, I was in Denmark, walking through cities, talking to people I met – friends, family and their neighbours – and reflecting on the enormous differences between Denmark and Australia, especially in response to the climate crisis.

As scientists have been warning the global community since the 1970s, our burning of fossil fuels and our agricultural practices are heating the planet, causing extreme weather events and many other problems. In recent years this has become increasingly obvious. It is a wicked and existential problem which is getting worse every day. In a normal world, everyone would expect that such problems would be a matter for our governments to handle.

This is crucial. As climate scientist Bill Hare puts it: “We have everything we need, but governments are not getting behind it. This is a catastrophic failure. We can’t rely on billionaires. Unless governments start creating the rules and regulations, we are not going to contain this.”

In Denmark over the last five years, this is what has been happening: the government has been stepping up a gear. Today, Denmark has transformed a wide range of systems and technologies, moving towards decarbonising its society, making its economy more circular and protecting nature. By law.

In Australia… not so much.?

So why this difference?

The current situation in Australia

A factor that tends to be overlooked when we talk about the role of government is that our politicians are only ready to change our laws when enough people in the nation want to see it happen.

Australia has lots of fossil fuels in the ground – in particular coal and gas – and the country has a powerful and well-resourced fossil fuel lobby group with a huge vested interest in maintaining the demand for fossil fuels. Strategically, the industry has understood that the most powerful tool to protect ‘business as usual’ is to spread confusion in the general public. Through its campaigns on TV and in social media, along with meeting and socialising with politicians, the Australian fossil fuel industry has been very successful in maintaining its economic position.

Adding to that, Australia has a small minority of reactionaries who will do everything they can to resist change, including mobilising resistance to the clean energy transition and organising aggressive rallies against renewable energy and carbon reduction policies.

As a result, Australian governments have been very careful to not move forward with the necessary green transition any faster than they have the people with them. In the meanwhile, apathy and confusion reigns.?

A large proportion of the population feels unsure about whether and how to begin the green transition. Many are quietly waiting for more clarity, or direct instructions and regulations from authorities, while climate action at the individual and organisational level has slipped down their lists of priorities. There is a cost of living crisis – more than enough to think about already!

The Danes’ ‘Gr?nne Omstilling’

Denmark also has fossil fuels in the ground: oil in the North Sea. So how come the average Dane appears to be happily going along with the new trend of cutting carbon, being climate-conscious, and nature-positive? Why are the Danes so surprisingly compliant when their government introduces new legislation to reduce the use of fossil fuels?

While travelling in Denmark, I noticed that one particular expression consistently comes up whenever the Danes talk about their economy and politics, their work, or their daily challenges –?’den gr?nne omstilling’?, which is normally translated as?the green transition?or?the green transformation.

I started interviewing people I met about this phrase, asking them about my observation and whether my theory could be true – that this widespread expression?den gr?nne omstilling?has helped shape the Danish society’s unified approach to stepping into ‘climate emergency mode’ with real and government-regulated climate action.

I quickly realised that this expression has given everyone a shared sense of direction that deeply permeates Danish life. It has become part of the collective mindset in the country.

Rejection of emergency framing

While many English-speaking countries have been very busy talking about the?climate emergency (a term which the Oxford Dictionary selected as Word of the Year in 2019), the Danes have firmly declined using that expression.

As a climate campaigner I was advocating between 2016 and 2020 for local government councils in Australia to declare a climate emergency, and I also discussed this with several Danish mayors.

In Great Britain, around 96 per cent of the population live in areas where the local authorities – over 600 councils – have declared a climate emergency. In Canada, every single one of the country’s 653 councils have declared a climate emergency. In Australia, 118 councils have declared a climate emergency, but in Denmark? Not a single council took up the concept or joined the?global campaign .

In Denmark instead, it proved to be those particular three words?’den gr?nne omstilling’?that created a new, unifying language around climate action.

Today, regardless whether one agrees with it or not,?den gr?nne omstilling?has become an indisputable reality for the Danes – just like cybersecurity?and?artificial intelligence?have become new realities which we are all having to recognise, and which becoming common points of reference.

“So who started it?” I asked my interviewees. The answer I got was that no one really knows, though one person who had followed the development closely replied that it was journalists at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation – equivalent to the ABC in Australia – who first began using the expression, which they did diligently and enthusiastically.

Australia’s muddy stalemate

The inexorable rise of the global temperature chart reminds us that all the public discussion about climate science and distant emissions reduction targets haven’t been enough to catalyse early and effective action. In particular, the political pressure for needed government leadership has been missing in action. The clock is ticking, and while talks continue, carbon emissions and global temperature keep rising.

In contrast, mention of?den gr?nne omstilling?implies to any Danish listener that a full-scale societal wave of transformation is already rolling, and that progress is happening.?Den gr?nne omstilling?is an expression of a united society’s will to reshape the system and recalibrate structures in a purposeful way.

I find it striking how different this feels to the discourse in Australia. In Denmark,?den gr?nne omstilling?signals a society-wide makeover, an initiative that everyone has actively come together around – with little opposition! I am assuming it must be there, but I didn’t see or hear any of this during the four weeks I was in the country. If opposition to?den gr?nne omstilling?does exist, it is absolutely invisible in the mainstream.

This observation stands in stark contrast to Australia’s often divisive and politicised discussions about the environment, where policies have become battlegrounds and where the climate debate is often reduced to point-scoring between politicians and their parties..

Australia could use an equivalent to?den gr?nne omstilling. Like Denmark, we need a phrase that encompasses both the urgency and the opportunity of what’s happening in the world – and importantly, what needs to happen in Australia.

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” ~ Buckminster Fuller, American architect, writer and futurist

Deliberate reorientation

My proposal is that we adopt the term?’the green transition’ as Australia’s own unifying language for addressing the climate crisis.?

Den gr?nne omstilling?doesn’t simply translate to?the green transition. The Danish word?omstilling?implies more than just a gradual, passive shift. An ‘omstilling’ is an active, deliberate reorientation – a recalibration of systems, structures, and even thinking. It would be more accurate to translate omstilling to recalibration, or restructuring, or adjustment.

This is crucial, because what we’re facing isn’t something that will naturally evolve without intervention. It requires focus, commitment, and the collective will to change.

So I have been trying out lots of different variations over the term the green transition, in search of a better phrase or expression. Some of the top scorers were the green shift and the great renewal.?

The green transformation better aligns with the Danish term, however, it is not easy to say. After discussing the topic with more than 30 Australians from various walks of life, I’ve reached the conclusion that the expression?the green transition?probably is what would work best in Australia.?

Australia is often caught up in fearful language when it comes to climate discussions. We hear talk of the dangers, the risks, and the threats which can overwhelm and paralyse people. We can see the dramatic impacts of our warming climate nightly on our TV screens – the floods, the hurricanes, the droughts, the wildfires, and the waves of refugees.?

Sadly however, the news reporters and editors seldom attribute the increasing frequency and severity of these events to their fundamental cause – the burning of fossil fuels and damaging agricultural practices.

It may be that focusing more on solutions that are already working and less on doom and gloom, we might just find that needed common ground.?

This is where I envision?the green transition?can be that phrase that communicates action and positive change, rather than fear and division.?

The phrase can be used creatively, of course. Instead of saying the business sector’s green transition, you could be talking about the?green business transition, or the green transition in business, for instance.?

There’s the?green energy transition, the green ag transition, the?green health sector transition, and so on.?

Use of the word ‘green’

At this point I can hear someone saying, “Green is not a word that can be used in Australia – it is already taken. Here we have one political party that everyone associates with the word ‘green’ – and it is divisive. That colour makes some Australians see red.”

Which of course is a relevant point, because the Danes do not have a political party called something like ‘The Greens’, so they wouldn’t feel that affiliation to something political as such.

But hey, that specific party, the Australian Greens, originally chose this colour as their name exactly because they are keen to promote a green transition in our country. That doesn’t mean they own the word – they are but one of numerous players who are working on the society-wide green reorientation, transformation, or green transition.?

In the United States, the campaigning term?Green New Deal?did wonders and created history in American climate policy as it eventually lead to the Inflation Reduction Act with billions of dollars now being invested in renewable energy and climate solutions. The green word worked well for the Amercians.

Zooming in: what the Danish green transition looks like

Denmark’s collective agreement around?den gr?nne omstilling?shows that words matter. They shape not only how we perceive the future but how we act upon it.

For instance, in Denmark, the churches are getting deeply involved. Some parishes have decided to convert their land into forests as part of their commitment to the green?omstilling. They’re planting trees, installing solar panels, and contributing to the wider societal effort to tackle climate change.

The Danish media is incorporating climate science into everyday conversations. The public broadcasters DR and TV2 now include climate-related information in their weather reports. This has a profound effect on how people understand the issue: it brings climate change into the mainstream in a way that isn’t frightening but empowering. Again, the focus is on what can be done, rather than on what’s going wrong.

Imagine if Australia’s mainstream media did the same. Instead of just delivering daily forecasts and finance segments, imagine if our media outlets also talked on a daily basis about how the climate is changing and what solutions are being implemented to combat it. Australia’s population could then begin to feel more connected to the solutions, rather than being overwhelmed by the problem.

In Denmark, even commercial advertising reflects this collective shift. Companies are using language around sustainability and the green?omstilling?as part of their campaigns. Banks talk about accountability and responsibility, and car manufacturers promote electric vehicles as part of the?gr?nne omstilling. This isn’t coming from climate activists or environmental groups – it’s coming from mainstream businesses.

Common language

So, what could?the green transition?mean for Australia’s transition towards a fully decarbonised and circular economy? Initially, it could mean moving away from the divisive and often reactionary rhetoric that dominates our climate debates – the so-called ‘Climate Wars’, which are back at every election. The focus instead could be on solutions that work. It could bring the media, politicians, and the public onto the same page, around a phrase that emphasises both the challenge and the opportunity of climate action.

Most importantly, the green transition could unite us in the effort to recalibrate our economy, our policies, and our way of thinking, in a way that ensures a genuinely green, clean and sustainable future.

The key lesson from Denmark is that when a society rallies around a common purpose with a language that not only reflects but drives collective action, change begins to happen. And while Australia is not Denmark, there’s no reason why we can’t invent our own version of?den gr?nne omstilling. However this will require a similar catchphrase that will move us forward together. As people, politicians and media interact, we don’t necessarily need to agree about all the details in the roadmap, but we do need to share a common language that sets out the direction – and which makes it feel inevitable.

“ESG and philanthropy alone won’t solve the challenges. Ultimately we need government action. But civil society, business and philanthropy all have critical roles to play – together- in contributing to government ambition and policy to shift markets and structures to scale solutions.” (…) “The reasons why people will focus their energies on driving change are often deeply personal and values based. We want – and need – to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.” ~ Lindsay Hooper , Interim CEO at University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership

Government’s role

A?United Nations survey ?with 1.2 million respondents in 50 countries – the largest survey of public opinion on climate change ever conducted – found that 64 percent of people said that climate change is an emergency. In other words: “Yes, we know we are in trouble – we know it’s bad”.

Now what we need to focus on is the action that is needed from us – the solutions, and a?‘yes we can’ attitude. It’s time for governments and business at all levels to espouse positivity, courage, and a ‘let’s get on with it.’ culture.

Enter?the green transition.

The Danish experience teaches us that we – and with “we” I mean “we the people” – can’t do this on our own. We need our government and media to pick up this batton and run with it.

When climate scientists mention ‘tipping points’, they usually refer to moments when events begin to cascade and accelerate toward an unavoidable disaster. However, some researchers are now proposing a shift in thinking by introducing the idea of?‘positive tipping points’. According to recent models, government regulation is the most powerful mechanism for driving large-scale climate transitions.?This study ?suggests that, by enacting targeted climate policies in crucial sectors, world leaders could trigger a chain reaction of positive tipping points across the globe.

“We cannot create what we can’t imagine.” ~ Lucille Clifton, American poet, writer and educator

We change our world with language

It’s time for politicians and media to unite around a narrative-change in Australia. And we can all play a role in making that happen. Imagine how?you?could contribute to?the green transition. What part can you play in your community, at work, or with your local representatives? Start talking with your peers and in public about what?the green transition?looks like for you. Contact your local media people, and discuss the topic with them – or simply send them an email with a link to this article.

“It’s hopeless,” you say? That’s also what they told us when a group of five of us started the Climate Emergency Declaration campaign. We proved them wrong – and we can do that again.

Mik Aidt is director of Centre for Climate Safety, based in Geelong, and a Danish-Australian journalist who was part of the Australian team that started the global?Climate Emergency Declaration movement ?in 2016.

Examples of the green omstilling in?Denmark

Denmark’s ambitious?green omstilling?– green transition – represents a comprehensive transformation towards a climate-neutral society, with widespread changes across multiple sectors.

Below are some concrete examples of how this transformation is being implemented through new laws, regulations, and initiatives which drive the Danish society towards a greener and more sustainable future.

The examples showcase how Denmark is translating their?green omstilling?into practice:

Charging stations for electric vehicles A Danish law, aligned with an EU directive, requires all public buildings with at least 20 parking spaces to install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations by 1 January 2025. This legislation ensures the necessary infrastructure to support the growing number of EVs, making the transition from fossil-fuel-powered vehicles more feasible.

Green ownership tax for petrol cars Car owners in Denmark must pay a green ownership tax or weight tax, depending on the car’s age and environmental impact. The tax varies according to fuel consumption, with higher rates for cars that use more fuel. Additional fees are imposed for vehicles lacking particulate filters. These taxes encourage the purchase of more fuel-efficient and eco-friendly cars, supporting Denmark’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions from transport.

Slower traffic for cleaner air Sixteen Danish cities are currently trialling a 40 km/h speed limit in selected areas over the next three years. This initiative aims to improve urban air quality, reduce noise pollution, and increase pedestrian safety. Preliminary results show positive feedback, with emissions reductions already observed in many of the trial areas.

Petrol car-free zones in city centres Major cities across Denmark are taking bold steps to reduce air pollution by establishing petrol car-free zones in their Central Business Districts (CBDs). In five cities, these zones have contributed to a 36 per cent reduction in pollution levels. While some residents have found adapting to the new rules challenging, many acknowledge the importance of prioritising public health and cleaner air.

Royal support for the green omstilling Queen Mary and the Danish King are often highlighted in the media for their commitment to advancing the Green Omstilling. Their advocacy for sustainability has made environmental concerns a signature issue of the Danish monarchy, further raising public awareness and support for Denmark’s green transition.

Churches embrace the green omstilling Churches in Denmark are also contributing to the Green Omstilling by repurposing their lands for sustainable uses. On the island of Lolland, for example, some churches have planted trees and installed solar panels on parish grounds. In one case, 45,000 trees were planted, transforming former agricultural land into forest. This is part of the?Folkekirkens Gr?nne Omstilling, a nationwide initiative supported by the Danish National Church, which is mobilising its 8,500 hectares of land to promote sustainability.

Circular economy laws Denmark has introduced several initiatives to reduce waste and promote the recycling of materials as part of its shift towards a circular economy. New laws now mandate higher recycling rates in construction and industry, helping Denmark minimise resource waste, optimise material reuse and promote material efficiency.

Aarhus’ Net Zero goal by 2030 Local governments across Denmark are leading by example, with the two largest cities Copenhagen and Aarhus at the forefront. The Aarhus City Council has set an ambitious target of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. To meet this goal, the city is investing DKK 3 billion in a Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project and introducing policies to reduce fossil-fuelled cars in the city centre. By 2030, the number of parking spaces for petrol cars will be reduced to 250, while public transport is being expanded, cycling infrastructure is being improved, and some streets are being converted into parks and pedestrian areas. The council is also expediting the installation of wind turbines and solar panels, and plans to create new forests. Already, half of the households in Aarhus do not own a car, and it is expected that 37 per cent of residents will drive electric vehicles by 2030.

Expansion of renewable energy Denmark is a global leader in wind energy. As of 2023, over 57 per cent of Denmark’s electricity is generated from wind power. Some days, the amount of renewable energy in the grid exceeds 100 per cent. Offshore wind farms, including those near the island of Bornholm, are part of Denmark’s broader efforts to decarbonise the energy sector and reach 100 per cent renewable energy by 2050.

Sustainable agriculture In agriculture, Denmark is pushing forward with greener practices, including reducing pesticide use and promoting organic farming. The Danish government aims to cut pesticide use by 50 per cent by 2030 and convert 25 per cent of all farmland to organic agriculture. This not only helps reduce harmful environmental impacts but also supports biodiversity and soil health.

In short: Over the last five years, Denmark’s?green omstilling?has grown to become much more than an aspiration or a future vision. Today it is an ongoing transformation that is reshaping every part of the Danish society – from transport and energy to agriculture and urban planning.

Of course, the Danes still have many internal and political discussions and disagreements about how to best move forward and at what pace. Still, in an Australian perspective, the Danish transformation is impressive. Through comprehensive legislation, regulations, and grassroots initiatives, Denmark is creating a much more solid and collective pathway towards the climate-neutral future than Australia so far has been able to.

Denmark’s?green omstilling?serves as a blueprint for other nations, including Australia, where the?green transition?can create similar transformative change across sectors.

Contemplations over how to translate ‘the green omstilling’

Post on linkedin: 'The Green Omstilling' - what should we call it in Australia

Related podcast episode

This post is based on a report from Denmark which I delivered in The Sustainable Hour no. 517 in August 2024.

When I visited Denmark in 2022, I was similarly impressed about the country’s speed of transition – so I produced this little ‘video-postcard’ about it, based on a report I delivered for The Sustainable Hour no. 426 .

“We have everything we need, but governments are not getting behind it. This is a catastrophic failure. We can’t rely on billionaires. Unless governments start creating the rules and regulations, we are not going to contain this.” ~ Bill Hare, climate scientist

WHAT NEXT?

I propose we turn our attention to the people who run our public broadcasters.

“It is weird how things that have been known to scientists for many decades, basic facts, are not understood by the public. Instead, all kinds of pseudo-debates about whether global warming is actually caused by CO2 and all this stuff has been going on for decades in the media, because interested parties are pushing that, and the media are not doing their job properly.” ~ Stefan Rahmstorf , climate scientist

CALLING OUR PUBLIC BROADCASTERS:

Find your role in the green transition

In comparison to Denmark’s public broadcasters, the coverage of the green transition on Australia’s two main public television channels, ABC and SBS, remains disappointingly shallow and lacks a firm commitment to addressing the realities and opportunities of the climate crisis.

SBS, in particular, seems to have dropped the ball entirely, opting instead to prioritise light-hearted entertainment such as ‘laugh-out-loud adventures’ and ‘haunting crime dramas’ – content that adds little to the public discourse on climate action.

Meanwhile, ABC’s reporting on the green transition remains sporadic and inconsistent, rarely conveying the urgency needed to address the carbon emissions crisis. Despite the increasing frequency of climate-related disasters, the tone of ABC’s coverage lacks the weight and seriousness the situation demands.

Green transition overshadowed

Climate issues are routinely overshadowed by political and economic news, rather than being treated as an ongoing, critical crisis warranting sustained attention. Both public broadcasters have failed in their responsibility to expose the influence of the fossil fuel industry or highlight efforts in transitioning to sustainable energy.

ABC, in particular, can be criticised for not fulfilling its journalistic duty to serve the Australian public’s interest by probing deeper into the pervasive role of the fossil fuel lobby in shaping national politics and public policy. Although environmental issues are covered, the depth and frequency of investigative reporting into the political and economic power of fossil fuel companies remain inadequate.

Green transition: a priority

By contrast, Denmark’s DR – the Danish Broadcasting Corporation – takes a more proactive approach, framing the climate crisis as the defining issue of our time. DR consistently makes the green transition a top priority in its coverage, spotlighting how Danish businesses and citizens are pioneering renewable energy initiatives and enhancing climate resilience.

When climate-related disasters, such as floods or bushfires, strike, the ABC often focuses on the immediate local impact. However, it fails to connect the dots for viewers, neglecting to explain how these disasters are linked to the broader climate crisis or to explore the solutions needed to prevent similar future catastrophes.

Australians are rarely informed about global best practices or success stories in renewable energy adoption and emissions reduction, leaving a significant gap in public awareness of potential solutions.

Rather than simply reporting on disasters, ABC could shift towards more solutions-based journalism, highlighting positive efforts within Australia and internationally to combat climate change.

Reliance on top-down narratives

ABC’s climate narratives often appear shaped by politicians and government agencies, rather than showcasing the insights of scientific experts or grassroots environmental groups. This approach results in a narrow, often politicised perspective on climate solutions, reinforcing government policies rather than challenging them.

Incorporating more stories from grassroots activists and smaller community-led initiatives driving sustainable change would provide a broader range of perspectives, rather than relying on top-down political narratives.

In contrast, DR engages with a wide array of voices – including activists, scientists, and independent researchers – resulting in more balanced and thorough coverage of climate and green transition issues.

Holding power to account

According to its foundational principles, the ABC exists to hold the government to account, particularly on policies that affect the entire nation. This should certainly include emissions regulations and the green energy transition. Yet, while the ABC does cover political discussions on climate, it often sidesteps asking the tough questions. It fails to rigorously investigate and challenge the government’s shortcomings in meeting climate targets.

Moreover, the ABC does not sufficiently address the unequal impact of climate change on Australia’s Indigenous and marginalised communities. The voices of those disproportionately affected by environmental degradation should be at the forefront of its reporting, yet they are too often sidelined.

Serve public interest

The ABC and SBS, as public broadcasters, must realign their green transition coverage with their responsibility to the Australian public. This means holding power to account and delivering reporting on the climate crisis with the necessary depth, urgency, and focus. Doing so will not only serve the public interest but also strengthen Australia’s contribution to the global green transition.

. . .

Weather presenters highlight solutions

As just one recent example, this story from Germany about how half a million balconies got covered with solar panels was part of a weather report on the news of the Danish public broadcaster DR in August 2024:

→ Canary Media – 27 September 2024 How Germany outfitted half a million balconies with solar panels

“The country’s residents installed 200MW of balcony solar during the first half of 2024. It’s becoming an increasingly popular way to take climate action in Germany.”

→ Grist – 26 September 2024: How Germany outfitted half a million balconies with solar panels

“Meet balkonkraftwerk, the simple technology putting solar power in the hands of renters.”

Related articles, material and posts

“What we aspire to, as a species, is shaped by culture and the stories we tell ourselves and each other.” ~ Ayana Elizabeth Johnson , American author of the new book ‘What If We Get It Right?’

→ Atmos – 17 September 2024: A Glimpse At The Future If We Get Climate Action Right

“In her new book What If We Get It Right?, author Ayana Elizabeth Johnson urges us to imagine the endless possibilities in a future where climate solutions win.”