Climate and Environment – Radical Danish Policy Initiatives on Future Rural Land Use

Summary The Danish parliament has launched a CO 2 e‐tax on agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and an ambitious rural land use reform. The reform entails that 15 per cent or more of the agricultural land will be converted into forest, restored wetlands and semi‐natural grasslands. In the coming years, similar policies may be introduced in other countries and by the EU as a whole. With the primary aims of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the environmental impact of agriculture, 140,000 ha of drained wetlands (including buffer zones) will be rewetted, and 250,000 ha farmland will be afforested or converted into natural habitats. These land use changes will be organised through collaborative planning by 23 ‘local tripartites’, each covering a watershed. A major challenge will be to exploit the synergies between the goals in order to minimise the amount of land that must be converted. Other challenges include the financial resources available (so far, €7 billion has been allocated) and timeframe for implementation. A third critical factor is the engagement of municipalities, which are leading the planning processes, and the active involvement of stakeholders from agricultural organisations and environmental NGOs. Implementation of the reform will also be influenced by any future changes to the CAP, which in turn may benefit from the Danish experience.