Agenda 21 - Denmark

An inter-ministerial Committee, called the UNGASS Committee, has been established . The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is chairman and secretariat. Other ministries and agencies involved include the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Energy and Environment, the Ministry of Business and Industry, the Danish Ministry of Housing and Building, the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, the Greenland Home Rule, and the Faroese Government Office. Representatives of the Danish NGO Community and the private sector also participate.

The Ministry for Environment and Energy is the key coordination mechanism for sustainable development in Denmark. Other Ministries and agencies involved include the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Business and Industry, the Danish Ministry of Housing and Building, the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, the Greenland Home Rule, and the Faroese Government Office.

Impact assessments are usually used for policies, programmes and projects. There are no major constraints to implementing legal instruments related to sustainable development. In signing and ratifying international agreements, there is an established administrative mechanism or consultative process that considers the relationship and overlaps between such agreements.

A number of international agreements have called for national strategies, plans and programmes in cross-sectoral and sectoral areas; attempts to review and coordinate the totality of these requests, and their interrelationships with regard to sustainable development are undertaken by both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Environment and Energy.

The "92 Group" is a group of seventeen Danish environment and development organizations working jointly on follow-up to the UN Conference on Environment and Development.

This information is based on Denmark's submission to the Fifth and Sixth Sessions of the Commission on Sustainable Development. Last update: 20 January 1998.

MAJOR GROUPS

Women

Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women was signed on 17 July 1980 and ratified on 21 April 1983.

Gender equality in Denmark is advanced, especially when viewed within an international context. Therefore, the Government has decided not to consider women as a particular population group in Local Agenda 21 campaigns where they participate in Local Agenda 21 activities on equal terms with men.

This information is based on Denmark's submission to the 5th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, April 1997. Last update: 1 April 1997

The "92 Group" is a group of seventeen Danish environment and development organizations working jointly on follow-up to the UN Conference on Environment and Development.

NGOs participate regularly in local environmental impact assessment projects and occasionally in national environmental impact assessment projects. NGOs also occasionally participate in the design of national sustainable development policies. Danish representatives from major groups have been included in the National Delegation to the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations and the Convention on Biological Diversity. Denmark is also planning to include major groups in the delegation to the CSD in 1997, FCCC Conference of the Parties (COP) and Biodiversity CDPs.

Denmark also provides financial and technical assistance to support individuals, groups and institutions contributing to sustainable development nationally as well as internationally. The government also collaborates with international NGOs and other organizations of Major Groups in national and regional sustainable development programmes.

This information is based on Denmark's submission to the Fifth and Sixth Sessions of the Commission on Sustainable Development. Last update: 20 January 1998.

Local Authorities

No information is available.

SCIENCE

The ministries responsible for natural and social sciences, legislation and policies are the Ministry of Research, the Ministry of Education (as well as universities), the Ministry of Environment and Energy, and the Ministry of Agriculture.

The launching of the Strategic Environment Research Programme and the National Strategy for Polar Research have been the most important post-Rio activities in the natural, social and engineering sciences. The Aquatic Environment Action Plan of 1997 supports research into more sustainable production and consumption patterns.

Increasing research and teaching at the university level by women is part of a government policy to enhance the role of women.

As part of the Danish Environmental Research Programme, DANIDA is financing a sub-programme concerning "Sustainable Use of Natural Resources in Developing Countries". A total amount of US$8.3 million during the years 1994-1998 has been allocated for three cross-disciplinary research projects under this sub-programme. In addition, Denmark has contributed US$7 million to CGIAR programmes addressing science for sustainable development.

In1991, the total number of steady teaching staff (who do research 40% of the time) dealing with environment and development at universities, was 251 men and 27 women. The total number of externally financed full-time researchers/scientists/engineers in the natural and social sciences dealing with environment and development was 195. These figures include independent research institutions. The total number of full-time researchers in environment and development in the public sector is 818. There is no target set to increase these numbers.

This information is based on Denmark's submission to the 5th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, April 1997. Last update: 1 April 1997

INFORMATION

A comprehensive inventory of databases, relevant to sustainable development, was carried out in 1994. The Danish Government established a programme to develop or use indicators of sustainable development at the national level. The Ministry of Environment and Energy is involved in the work on indicators of sustainable development and is further developing its internal information system.

Availability of sustainable development information at the national level is as follows:

Agenda 21 Chapters		Very good	Good	Some good data but many gaps	Poor
2.	International cooperation and trade		X
3.	Combating poverty		X
4.	Changing consumption patterns			X
5.	Demographic dynamics and sustainability		X
6.	Human health		X
7.	Human settlements	X
8.	Integrating E & D in decision-making			X
9.	Protection of the atmosphere		X
10.	Integrated planning and management of land resources	X
11.	Combating deforestation			X
12.	Combating desertification and drought			X
13.	Sustainable mountain development
14.	Sustainable agriculture and rural development		X
15.	Conservation of biological diversity		X
16.	Biotechnology		X
17.	Oceans, seas, coastal areas and their living resources	X
18.	Freshwater resources		X
19.	Toxic chemicals		X
20.	Hazardous wastes		X
21.	Solid wastes		X
22.	Radioactive wastes
24.	Women in sustainable development
25.	Children and youth
26.	Indigenous people		X
27.	Non-governmental organizations	X
28.	Local authorities	X
29.	Workers and trade unions		X
30.	Business and industry		X
31.	Scientific and technological community		X
32.	Farmers		X
33.	Financial resources and mechanisms		X
34.	Technology, cooperation and capacity-building		X
35.	Science for sustainable development		X
36.	Education, public awareness and training			X
37.	International cooperation for capacity-building			X
38.	International institutional arrangements		X
39.	International legal instruments		X
40.	Information for decision-making		X

The Ministry of the Environment and Energy and Statistics Denmark continuously publish environmental data and statistics. Statistics Denmark is, to a large extent, fed with data provided by the Ministry of the Environment. Danish data collection related to sustainable development is a full-fledged system which is continually being expanded and revised to account for any shift in needs and circumstances, and it covers virtually every aspect of life in a complex, industrial society. Denmark also has access to international information systems.

The main sources of information on sustainable development are data provided by industry and local authorities. Computer networks, providing access to international information systems are available for the public and private sectors. The main users of sustainable development information are decision-makers at all levels and in all sectors.

This information is based on Denmark's submission to the 5th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, April 1997. Last update: 1 April 1997

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INTERNATIONAL LAW

In addition to other international agreements mentioned elsewhere Denmark participates in:

In July 1996, the European Union-Commission DG XVI published the INTERREG II C- programme. The programme has a budget of 420 MECU which is divided among three main themes :

The EU-Commission has allocated 120 MECU to this theme. The participating member states are expected to co-finance on a 50/50% basis. Cooperation must take place between at least two member states. Within the European territory, seven cooperation areas have been agreed on and all are cooperating between four and seven member states. In some areas a number of neighboring third countries participate in the programme.

Denmark participates in two areas: the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) and the North Sea Region (NSR). Denmark has been allocated 4 MECU which will be split between the two areas with 2.5 MECU to BSR and 1.5 MECU to NSR. The main themes for the NSR are:

This information is based on Denmark's submission to the 5th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, April 1997. Last update: 1 April 1997

National Decision-Making Structure
1. National Sustainable Development Coordination Body:	Yes
2. National Sustainable Development Policy:	Yes
3. National Agenda 21/other strategy for SD:	Yes
4. Local/Regional Agenda(s) 21:	Yes
5. Environmental Impact Assessment Law:	Yes
6. Major Groups involved in Sustainable Development Decision-Making:	Yes

National Instruments and Programmes
1. Sustainable. Dev. or environmental education incorporated into school curricula:	Yes
2. Sustainable Development Indicators Program:	Yes
3. Ecolabel Regulations:	Yes
4. Recycle/Reuse Programs:	Yes
5. Green Accounting Program:	Yes
6. Access to Internet:	Yes
7. Access to World Wide Web:	Yes
8. A national World Wide Web Site for Sustainable Dev. or State of the Environment:	Yes

Policies, Programmes, and Legislation
Does your country have either a policy, programme, and/or legislation consistent with Agenda 21 in:
*1. Combatting poverty:*	Yes
2. Changing consumption and production patterns:	Yes
3. Atmosphere:	Yes
4. Land Use Planning:	Yes
5. Forest and Deforestation:	Yes
6. Desertification and Drought:	Yes
7. Sustainable Mountain Development:	Yes
8. Sustainable Agriculture:	Yes
9. Biological Diversity:	Yes
*10. Biotechnology:*	Yes
11. Oceans and Coastal Areas:	Yes
*12. Freshwater Management:*	Yes
13. Toxic Chemicals:	Yes
14. Hazardous Wastes:	Yes
15. Solid Wastes:	Yes
*16. Radioactive Wastes:*	Yes
*17. Energy:*	Yes
*18. Transport:*	Yes
*19. Sustainable Tourism:*	Yes

INSTITUTIONAL ASPECTS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN DENMARK

INTEGRATED DECISION-MAKING

Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies

MAJOR GROUPS

Women

Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies

SCIENCE

INFORMATION

INTERNATIONAL LAW