Denmark will set up a $71.7-million fund to restore and protect marine nature, the government announced this week, while the environment ministry has formed an alliance with the nation’s leading industry associations to develop a common framework for taking biodiversity action.
The Scandinavian country is introducing the DKK500-mln ocean fund after agreeing last year to launch a major offshore wind programme that will see some 6 GW of offshore wind established in the coming years.
The ocean nature fund, which will receive funding from Denmark’s Green Fund, will contribute to the restoration of marine nature and biodiversity while also contributing to gaining knowledge about the environmental and nature impacts from the construction of offshore renewable energy.
“The development of renewable energy will go hand in hand with nature restoration and investment in our nature and environment. That’s why I am pleased that we are now accelerating the green transition and setting aside half a billion [Danish kroner] to amongst others restore our under-pressure marine nature,” Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke said Wednesday.
The government will soon launch a tender process to call for bids from corporations interested in developing the offshore wind capacity, and if the revenue from that process is bigger than anticipated, another DKK350 mln will be earmarked for the new fund, the ministry said.
Last week, Danish renewable energy firm Orsted and UK-based marine consultants Bluedot Associates teamed up to develop a biodiversity framework to apply to the planned offshore floating wind power leasing round the UK is planning in the Celtic Sea.
INDUSTRY ALLIANCE
At the same time, the environment ministry announced a biodiversity alliance with a group of 15 industry organisation, environmental NGOs, and think-tanks.
The partnership is intended to guide Danish businesses in their voluntary efforts to protect global nature, including in how their production and supply chains best protect biodiversity while identifying barriers for action.
The environment ministry will act as secretariat for the partnership, and will appoint two researchers who over the next year will work to formulate a set of recommendations for how Danish companies can best act on biodiversity, how the government can help overcome barriers and provide incentives, and on whether the alliance should expand its activities, such as to more sector specific working groups.
Among the participants are IPD, the Confederation of Danish Industry, the Danish Chamber of Commerce, and the Danish Agriculture & Food Council.
“We will share knowledge and experiences nationally and internationally, develop large-scale solutions, and find out how to best include biodiversity in corporate activities when they produce food, medicine, infrastructure, and other things for the gain of all of society,” said Lars Sandahl Soerensen, CEO of Dansk Industri.
By Stian Reklev – stian@carbon-pulse.com
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