Danish Minister to promote green energy, sustainability

ABU DHABI- Denmark’s Environment and Food Minister, Esben Larsen, is due to arrive in the UAE tomorrow to start a three-day visit designed to promote collaboration on green energy and sustainability.

The northern European country, according to information provided by its Embassy, "has a particularly strong profile and a long history of producing green technology and green energy." In 2016, 37.6 percent of its electricity consumption came from wind-power, putting the country well on the way to reaching a goal of 50 percent by 2020. The latest Energy Trilemma Index produced by the World Energy Council places Denmark 1st in terms of Energy Security, 4th for Environmental Sustainability and 12th for Energy Equity, according to the Embassy

The UAE was Denmark’s 33rd largest export market for goods in 2016, according to the Embassy figures, with major export products including machines and accessories for machines, worth a total of 410.5 million Danish krone (AED268.7 million). Export of organic products reached 612 million krone (AED373.2 million), with dairy products accounting for 40 percent of these. UAE exports to Denmark in 2016, mainly oil, amounted to 352.2 million krone (AED214.8 million). Last year, total Danish exports to the UAE rose by 17.5 percent over the previous year’s figure of 3.2 billion krone (AED1.95 billion), to reach a new record of 3.7 billion krone (AED2.26 billion). Over the next five years, according to the Confederation of Danish Industry, export growth is expected to be around three percent annually.

During his visit, the Minister is expected to hold meetings in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Fujairah.