Climate change is a global problem not only because its effects can be felt around the world, but also because the impacts of measures taken by different countries are not isolated to that country. As such, it’s important to observe the innovative approaches that different nations are taking to convert to renewable energy sources, in order to adopt them elsewhere. Nordic countries in particular, for a variety of reasons I’ll examine below, have successfully pioneered the switch to renewable energy.
Denmark has proven to be a leader in onshore wind energy. In 2017, 32% of Denmark’s energy consumption came from renewable sources, with 40% from oil, 15% from natural gas, 9% from coal, 2% from nonrenewable waste, and 2% from imported electricity, and wind-generated electricity met 43.4% of the domestic electricity supply; these percentages have consistently increased in the past three years with construction of four new large offshore wind farms. The Danish government has an objective of 50% renewable energy by 2030.
The successful implementation of wind energy throughout the country seems due to a number of factors: the leadership of the Danish government in setting ambitious goals and following through on the necessary steps to achieve them, the financial capacity of the country to support the transition, and the inclusion of the public in the process of converting. Danish residents living near wind power projects receive shares in the project, compensation for any loss in house value, and a direct allocation per megawatt of power generated. Meeting international business interests, in addition to international sustainability goals, adds additional incentive for a successful transition. A partnership between Sweden, Germany, and Denmark resulted in a 600-megawatt wind farm in the waters between the three countries using wind turbines provided by the German company Siemens.
While Denmark is leading in onshore wind energy, Britain has made the most progress offshore, having increased from 1 GW a decade ago to almost 10 GW at the start of 2020, and building costs have been driven down by almost two-thirds. Recently, Boris Johnson announced an ambitious goal for offshore wind to power every home in the UK by 2030 as part of the plan to “build back better” following the coronavirus’s economic impact. It’s heartening to think that even the more conservative world leaders are aiming for this kind of progress—though of course this makes the United States’ staunch opposition to anything resembling a forward-thinking policy even more frustrating to consider. Currently, the U.S. has one pilot offshore plant, Block Island, with five wind turbines, putting it far behind the strides that Scandinavian countries, the UK, and so much of the world have made in recent years.
Renewable energy is not limited in use to powering homes and cities—I recently came across an article detailing the creation of a wind-powered, almost completely emission-free shipping vessel developed in Sweden. As of 2018, shipping accounted for almost 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The International Maritime Organization, a UN body, announced the goal to reduce annual emissions by 50% by 2050. The vessel, created to ship about 7,000 cars across the Atlantic, has rotating steel sails that propel the 650 ft.-long vessel. An innovation that combines historic methods with modern technology, this business and government-led solution to one of the most significant contributors to emissions presents another exciting approach to solving the climate crisis.
Iceland is an example of a place that efficiently tailored its energy systems to its unique landscape. Dotted with volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls, and hot springs, the country is abundantly suited to support its energy needs using hydropower and geothermal energy. With the breakdown of geothermal energy use represented in the image below, it’s clear that renewables are crucial to every industry and part of society in Iceland. About 85% of the total primary energy supply is derived from renewable energy produced domestically—the most in any national total energy budget. Iceland’s success is due in large part to its landscape, but the idea of using the Earth’s features in a particular place to suit localized needs can be transplanted anywhere. This indicates there is no one set strategy of adopting renewables that would work everywhere, but rather, that particular cities and countries should evaluate their resources and needs and customize their approaches accordingly.
Of course, every country has its own unique combination of available resources, economic circumstances, public values, and political systems, but one thing has to remain consistent for there to be positive change: a commitment to achieving the goal of converting as quickly and completely as possible to renewable energy.
Featured Image from Extreme Iceland