Monday Morning News & Notes
Greenland’s unique situation. War worries rise in Europe.
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Chile has declared a state of emergency as wildfires rage. On social media President Gabriel Boric calls the situation difficult and that every resource is needed to fight the flames. Fires near the popular tourist towns of Viña del Mar and Valparaíso are especially concerning. The flames have claimed 64 lives and chased more than 1,600 others from their homes.
The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is warning any Danes who are in Chile to “seek refuge.”
“There can be strong smoke at the beaches, among other things. Avoid the fire area and follow the instructions of the local authorities. If you are in the areas affected by the smoke, you should leave when conditions permit.”
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On the other side of the world, temperatures are also rising. A heat wave is rolling across Australia pushing temperatures past 40 degrees in places, which is about 10 degrees above the February average. As the heat rises officials are warning that the risk of wildfires is also increasing.
🍃Environment & Energy⚡️
🇬🇱
Greenland's bedrock is on the move, rising faster than sea levels, according to a recent study from DTU Space. In essence, while climate change will mean large parts of the world will struggle with rising sea levels due to the melting of the Greenland ice sheet, the problem is completely reversed in Greenland itself. Here the land is rising faster than the water levels. According to the research, over a 10-year period (2013-2023), certain areas of Greenland's bedrock have ascended by up to 20 cm, equivalent to 2 meters over a century. This rapid local change could impact life in Greenland, leading to the emergence of new islands.
The GNET network, consisting of 61 measuring stations along Greenland's coasts, provides detailed insights into land uplift and ice melting. The data, accessed through GNSS technology, allows precise measurement of bedrock movements, enabling scientists to monitor climate changes with millimeter precision. Greenland's rising land is a natural process accelerated by the melting ice sheet, a consequence of global warming.
Study co-author Professor Shfaqat Abbas Khan emphasizes that the current land uplift in Greenland surpasses the expected natural development post the last ice age, making the data from GNET crucial for understanding ongoing global climate changes.
"The land uplift that we see in Greenland these years cannot be explained solely by the natural development after the last ice age. Greenland is rising significantly more, and with our data from GNET we can very accurately isolate the part of the land rise that is due to the current global climate changes.”
🇮🇸
Officials in Iceland are once again racing to try and minimize the potential impacts of even more volcanic activity. Several volcanoes near the capital of Reykjavik have become active again after an 800-year pause. Volcanologists are warning there is a significant risk of eruption on the peninsula that is home to about 30,000 people. Crews are working around the clock to build huge dikes to protect homes and an important power plant from any lava flows.
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Denmark has long been an outlier on the European rail network but that might be about to change. Recently, an overnight train between Hamburg and Stockholm began running with stops in Denmark. Now officials in Copenhagen are working to make the city more rail-friendly for destinations outside the country. The idea is to create a green travel alternative to other European destinations giving people a more environmental rail option as opposed to traveling by car or plane.
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People in the market for an electric vehicle pressed pause last month as overall car sales in Denmark saw a major slowdown. According to De Danske Bilimportører car sales plunged 15% compared to January of last year. The industry group suspects car buyers in Denmark held off buying an EV in January in order to save a few more bucks in February.
CEO Mads Rørvig:
"Danes are price sensitive, and therefore electric car sales are affected by a lower base deduction in the registration tax. Fortunately, the deduction will be raised from February, when we expect that electricity will again be put on, especially for electric car sales.”
EVs made up more than half of all new vehicle sales in Denmark in December but fell to 35% in January, which was the lowest number of electric vehicles sold since last August. De Danske Bilimportører is predicting that EV sales will “increase significantly” this year if the Danish government can play ball.
“Electric car sales are significantly affected by the level of taxes, and therefore it is particularly important for the green transition that taxes will not increase from 2026, as is the plan in the current political framework.”
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A Danish company is one of the first in the world to develop an e-methanol plant where green energy is used to convert water and carbon dioxide into green fuels. Methanol is a basic element in shipping and plastic production, and if it is produced with renewable energy, there is no emission of carbon dioxide during production. In contrast, carbon dioxide is actually collected in the production phase.
European Energy is developing the world’s first large-scale e-methanol plant in Aabenraa Kommune, which will supply e-methanol to Danish shipping giant Mærsk, pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, and the iconic LEGO group.
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PFAS contamination, recognized as hazardous to both the environment and human health, has been discovered in the soil and wastewater at Nordic Waste in Ølst near Randers. Jens Heslop, Director of Development, Environment, and Technology in Randers Municipality, reveals that preliminary soil tests indicate PFAS levels below the limit value. However, wastewater samples tell a different story, registering higher PFAS levels, albeit within permissible limits for treatment plants. The origin of the PFAS contamination remains unknown, leaving Randers officials grappling with the implications of this environmental concern.
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Denmark's Climate Minister, Lars Aagaard, is facing significant backlash from various quarters following revelations that agriculture's climate impact may have been underestimated. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen, calculating emissions from low-lying soils between 1990 and 2021, indicate up to 35 million tonnes more CO2 than officially accounted for.
Aagaard, declaring the reduction in low-lying land a climate victory, failed to incorporate updated emission figures, triggering criticism from politicians and environmental advocates. The conservative climate rapporteur, Mona Juul, criticized the minister for being 'dishonest,' demanding more transparency in climate policies. The Alternative party and Radicals now call for revisiting climate targets, suggesting a potential increase to 75 or 80 percent reduction by 2030.
In response, Minister Aagaard vehemently denies accusations of providing half-truths, asserting that he has transparently presented the data from Aarhus University. As the political debate intensifies, Aagaard is set to face questioning in the Danish Parliament this week.
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In spite of EU regulations, Odense municipality will allow football clubs in the city to use rubber granules on artificial grass football pitches until at least the end of 2025. The European Union decided last year to outlaw the use of rubber granules on artificial grass fields because it is detrimental to nature. Odense officials say until a viable alternative can be found they will continue using the granules.
🇸🇪
Southern Sweden is cutting down on food waste. Since making reducing food waste a priority in 2020 Region Skåne has reduced the amount of food being tossed out by 6%. That equals about 130 kilos of food per week. The region has set a goal of cutting food waste in half by 2030.
Region Food Waste Coordinator Erika Norberg:
“It is a really nice reduction and proof of how increased awareness in these matters can make a difference. Although much work remains.”
Norberg credits innovations in how hospitals serve patients food that has drastically reduced the number of meals that get thrown away,
“We know that the meal concept makes a difference to food waste. In healthcare, it is impossible to avoid food waste completely. But with the efforts we have made so far, there is a lot of food every week that does not end up in the garbage. It is good for the environment and for our economy. It is money that can be put to better use elsewhere.”
🇧🇪
Farmers, angry over EU environmental regulations, continue to vent their displeasure. Protesting farmers blockaded several border crossings between the Netherlands and Belgium on Friday. The demonstrations mark the latest wave of farmer protests across Europe, expressing discontent with the EU's recently implemented green regulations.
The majority of the protesters are reportedly from Belgium, where the demonstrations originated late Thursday night. In the western part of Belgium, farmers have been blocking trucks from leaving the port of Zeebrugge for several days, causing significant disruptions. Reports from local media, including VRT, indicate that nearly 2,000 trucks are stranded due to the ongoing demonstrations.
🇪🇺
The European Union’s reliance on fossil fuels for its overall energy supply increased slightly in 2022 according to statistics agency EuroStat. 2022 was a significant year with COVID restrictions vanishing and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine also sparked an energy crisis. EU reliance on fossil fuels for energy stood at 70.9% in 2022, up slightly from the 69.9% from the year previous. Looking at the bigger picture, Europe’s reliance on fossil fuels has dropped by 11.5% since 1990.
Malta (96.1%), Cyprus (89.3%)m and the Netherlands (87.6%) had the most reliance on fossil fuels in the EU. While most of the other EU countries had shares between 50% and 85%. Only Sweden (30.4%) and Finland (38.3%) were below 50%.
EuroStat also notes a decrease in energy produced using nuclear power in Europe in 2022.
🇸🇪
Swedish companies had a tough 2023 as the number of bankruptcies reached a level not seen in 25 years. Region Stockholm’s latest economic report shows that 3,106 companies went belly up in the capital region last year, the highest number of bankruptcies since 1997. That is a 31% increase year over year. Most of the companies throwing in the towel were in the construction sector.
Development Director Anton Västberg:
“2023 was in many ways a difficult year with high inflation and high interest rates. This affected and continues to affect our region in many ways.”
Conversely, unemployment in the region remained low sitting at 4.8% to finish the year.
🇪🇺
Euro area inflation, inflation in EU countries using the euro, eased ever so slightly last month. According to a flash estimate from EuroStat, inflation in the Eurozone went from 2.9% in December to 2.8% in January.
🦠COVID🦠
🌍 🦠
The number of confirmed COVID infections and infection-related hospitalizations have increased across the globe according to the World Health Organization. The WHO says in the latest 28-day reporting period there were over 850,000 new coronavirus cases reported (very underreported), which is 52% more than the previous reporting period.
Over 3,000 more lives were also claimed by the virus (-8%).
There were over 118,000 new hospital admissions (+23%) while intensive care wards also saw over 1,600 new patients (+51%). The agency notes that these are based on what few countries that are still regularly reporting infection data.
Case numbers increased across four of the WHO’s six global health regions. They are the European Region (+54%), the Western Pacific Region (+67%), the African Region (+77%), and the South-East Asia Region (+388%). Fatalities were up in two regions, the European Region (+14%), and the South-East Asia Region (+317%).
🇪🇺
Another new COVID variant has reared its head. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has placed the BA.2.87.1 strain on its variants under monitoring (VUM) list. That is the lowest of the three designations used by the agency. The agency says a small number of cases have been identified in South Africa and the strain has likely been circulating since September.
“BA.2.87.1 is genetically distinct from currently circulating variants, carrying around 100 mutations compared with the parental lineage BA.2. It also has a distinct N-terminal domain in the spike protein, including several large deletions, and could therefore potentially be associated with a significant shift in antigenic properties.”
That means it could potentially have an even greater ability to dodge around immune protections offered by vaccination or previous infection. However, the ECDC cautions as with any newly identified strain there are more questions than answers and more data is needed to nail down if this variant poses a threat or not.
Currently, BA.2.86 and its sub-variants, namely JN.1, are dominant across Europe making up 93.7% of what positive tests and sequences are still being done.
🇩🇰
Deadly avian flu continues to sweep through flocks of farmed birds in Denmark. Last week three flocks of farmed Turkeys had to be destroyed and now two more flocks, farmed turkeys at a farm on Sjælland and chickens at another farm in Southern Jutland, have to be euthanized. The killing of the 62,000 birds began on Sunday according to Danish Veterinary and Food Administration.
Unit Manager Mette Kirkeskov Sie:
“It is worrying that we end the week with two more large outbreaks. Earlier this week, we had to cull three large turkey herds in Southwest Zealand.”
🇫🇮
Finnish Summer Cottage Market Cools as Prices Retreat from Pandemic Peak. The Finnish summer cottage market witnessed a significant downturn in sales last year, signaling a departure from the soaring demand observed in 2020 and 2021 amid COVID travel restrictions. The National Land Survey of Finland has reported a nationwide average price drop of 5% between 2022 and 2023, indicating a return to pre-pandemic pricing levels with society returning to near normal.
🇺🇦/ 🇷🇺 War
🇩🇰
Denmark’s Defense Minister added to a growing level of concern expressed across Europe that the war in Ukraine could spill over into a much larger conflict. Coming out of a Friday meeting, Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said that Russia is ramping up its military and making progress in Ukraine “and is a direct threat to NATO, of which Denmark is a part.” The minister was meeting with politicians from other parties about reopening negotiations on the historic defense spending deal reached just last summer.
“We have to be on the right side of history. Therefore, we will have to speed up political decisions in order to also show the greatest degree of solidarity with the other NATO countries.”
While we don’t know what information was tabled in the meeting whatever it was those in attendance took it seriously.
Radikale Venstre’s Defense spokesman Christian Friis Bach spoke to DR:
“We went into the meeting with a certain seriousness, and we left the meeting with even greater seriousness.”
The Defense spokesman for the Danish People's Party, Alex Ahrendtsen, also indicated to DR that what they heard in the meeting was not good.
“I must not tell you what information we have obtained, because it is classified. But I can only refer to Sweden, Finland, and Eastern Europe, who say that Russia is going to great lengths to rearm, and there is a threat to NATO, and therefore we in Denmark and NATO must be ready. And that requires us to advance investments so that we are ready.”
This is on top of similar warnings recently that war in Europe may be a distinct possibility. Those warnings came from NATO, defense officials in Germany and the UK, as well as the highest-ranking military leaders in Sweden, Finland, and Norway.
Poulsen is careful to underscore that there is currently no direct threat to Denmark.
“I can only share the assessment that I have access to in relation to Denmark from the military that states that there is no direct military threat to Denmark. But we live in a very difficult security situation. It is also for this reason that I now think we will have to start working on how to strengthen our defense capacities to a greater extent than what we planned for this summer.”
Last summer, the Danish parliament reached a historic agreement to increase defense spending by 155 billion Danish kroner (about $30.2 billion Cdn) over the next ten years. The problem is that the major spending increases don’t come for another four or so years.
The Defense Minister told the other party members that billions of kroner in the existing deal needs to be moved around so it is available now, not later.
“The parties agree that we look seriously at the threat that, in the shorter term, could be against NATO. That is why I am now going to invite the parties to a discussion on how we are going to make investments in relation to some of the analysis we have put in place.”
Poulsen says high on his list is money for the procurement of, among other things, more F-35 fighter jets, new ground-based air defense systems, and improving the Danish navy’s ability to detect and hunt enemy submarines.
Denmark is already examining options to increase the number of soldiers in the army. The Danish Armed Forces are currently reassessing the limits around conscription with a report due next month.
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Denmark’s Chief of Defense is joining his Nordic counterparts in warning that there isn’t much time to get Denmark and the defenses of other NATO countries up to where they need to be. Flemming Lentfer told Politiken that with Russia moving to a wartime economy it is rearming and preparing itself for war at a much faster rate than anticipated.
“We probably don't have as much time as we thought.”
Norway’s Chief of Defense recently warned that Norway has a window of about three years to prepare its defenses for war.
🇨🇿🇪🇺🇺🇦
The European Union is grappling with a shortfall in its promise to deliver one million artillery shells to Ukraine, with only 524,000 shells expected by the March deadline. Frustrated by the delay, Politico is reporting that the Czech Republic is urging EU countries to finance the purchase of an estimated 450,000 rounds of artillery available outside the bloc, potentially turning to arms manufacturers in South Korea, Turkey, and South Africa. The EU's initial plan focused on boosting local production, but the urgency of Kyiv's needs prompts a reconsideration of strategy, with the possibility of sourcing ammunition from non-EU countries gaining traction.
The EU's current ammunition supply plan involves reimbursing member states through the European Peace Facility and allocating €1 billion to the European Defence Agency for joint procurement. However, with Ukraine experiencing a severe shortage amid Russia's relentless assault, the Czech Republic's call for external procurement brings a new dynamic to the EU's military aid efforts. As EU defense ministers discuss options and the situation on the ground intensifies, the bloc faces strategic decisions on meeting its commitments and supporting Ukraine's defense against the ongoing conflict.
🇫🇷 🇩🇪 🇺🇦
France and Germany are on the verge of finalizing security agreements with Ukraine, reinforcing support for the country amidst heightened tensions with Russia. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna revealed that the security pact with Germany is "largely finished," with expectations that the agreement will be signed during the Munich Security Conference on February 16. France's commitment to a bilateral military agreement was reiterated by President Emmanuel Macron, who plans to sign the accord during his visit to Kyiv this month.
Negotiations between France and Ukraine continued during a recent visit by a French delegation to Kyiv on February 3, showcasing France's steadfast support. The Group of Seven (G7) countries and other partners have pledged security guarantees through bilateral treaties, with the U.K. finalizing its deal in January. The agreements aim to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities as it faces ongoing challenges amid Russia's full-scale invasion. Germany, as a significant supporter, has been a key contributor of military aid, recently transferring military helicopters to Ukraine.
🇪🇪 🇺🇦
Estonia has dispatched more weapons to Ukraine. The €80 million arms package includes machine guns, small arms ammunition, javelin ATGMs, various land and water vehicles, and diving equipment.
🇫🇮 NATO
Finland has announced plans to contribute up to eight fighter jets and a mine-clearing vessel to participate in NATO's joint operations in the Black Sea this year, reinforcing the country's commitment to collective European defense efforts. The fighter jets are set to engage in regular air patrolling missions in Romania and Bulgaria, with a special focus on the Black Sea during the summer months, as revealed by the Defence Ministry on Friday.
Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen emphasized the significance of active participation, stating, "Allies participating actively in NATO's peacetime collective defense missions send a message of unity and reinforce deterrence." While Finland, at this juncture, is not partaking in ground operations, the Ministry of Defense clarified that this decision stems from the country's geographical location on NATO's eastern flank and the predominant composition of the defense forces, which largely consists of reservists.
Scheduled for June and July, the air defense operations in Romania, Bulgaria, and the Black Sea will be conducted under the banner of the Air Shielding operation. This encompasses air surveillance standby (air policing), armed patrol flights under NATO's integrated air and missile defense, and collaborative training exercises.
🇫🇮/ 🇷🇺
Finnish cities have fallen victim to a wave of Denial of Service (DoS) attacks over the weekend, knocking websites offline and disrupting essential municipal services for countless citizens. The affected cities, including the capital Helsinki and a dozen others. The notorious pro-Russian hacker group, NoName057(16) claimed responsibility on the Telegram messaging platform. The hacker group said that the attacks were in direct response to Finland's support for Ukraine.
The NoName057(16) hacker group has a history of suspected involvement in previous DoS attacks on the Finnish Parliament and the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency's websites, further raising concerns about the country's vulnerability to cyber threats.
🇫🇷 🇺🇦/ 🇷🇺
Russian attacks have claimed the lives of two French aid workers in Ukraine. French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stéphane Séjourné confirmed the news in a social media post late last week. Séjourné warned that Russia will be held accountable for its “crimes”.
“Russian barbarism has targeted civilians in Ukraine. Two French humanitarian workers paid for their dedicated efforts towards the Ukrainians with their lives.”
The two were reportedly killed in a Russian drone attack in the Kherson region. The attack also injured three other French nationals.
🇷🇺/ 🇺🇦🇪🇺
The International Court of Justice, the UN's highest court, had decided to pick up one part of Ukraine’s case against Russia but not the other. Shortly after the invasion, Ukraine charged Russia with violating the United Nations Genocide Convention. One of Vladimir Putin’s absurd claims for invading Ukraine was that it was committing genocide on pro-Russian citizens. Ukraine, for its part, refuted that claim but in response accused Russia of violating the UN Genocide Convention by invading. The ICJ ruled they don’t have the jurisdiction to rule on the latter but can on the former. So in essence the ICJ can now hear arguments and decide if in fact Ukraine was or was not committing genocide against pro-Russian citizens in Ukraine. Russia can now choose not to take part, which would result in a quick ruling for Ukraine, or try to argue the absurd genocide argument and see how the court decides.
🇷🇺
Russia continues to crack down on even the remotest displays of opposition to the war in Ukraine. A group of wives and mothers of soldiers who have been sent to the front in Ukraine have been holding more and more vocal protests demanding their husbands and sons come home. Since the optics of arresting these women would be too undesirable even for the Putin regime instead in order to limit news of the event getting out police arrested at least 20 journalists covering the protest.
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In a further crackdown on opposition figures, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has added two lawyers representing imprisoned politician Alexei Navalny to its list of wanted persons, as reported by Reuters. Lawyers Olga Mikhailova and Alexander Fedulov, both having left Russia, now face additional challenges, with Mikhailova previously charged with extremism in absentia. This move follows the October arrest of three other attorneys associated with Navalny on suspicion of belonging to an "extremist group." Navalny, serving a lengthy prison sentence in Siberia, continues to face intensified repression as his legal defense encounters increasing hurdles.
Odds & Ends
🇩🇰
A beach on the Danish island of Bornholm has landed on a prestigious list. Dueodde Strand (beach) ranks number 15 on The Lonely Planet’s list of the 100 best beaches in the world. The Danish beach joins others in Thailand, Zanzibar, and the Seychelles. The Pass beach in Byron Bay on Australia’s East coast landed the number one spot.
🇩🇰The Week Ahead Round Up🇩🇰
Monday, February 5:
Denmark’s New Queen Mary Elizabeth celebrates her first birthday since becoming Queen on the coronation of her husband King Frederik X.
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The Winter Jazz Festival continues with concerts in 600 venues in Copenhagen and across Denmark.
The festival runs until February 25.
You can learn more HERE.
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The Copenhagen Light Festival continues to light up the night with a number of dazzling displays.
The festival runs every night until February 25.
You can find a run down and location of each display HERE.
Friday, February 9:
The Nordic region’s largest restaurant festival ‘Dining Week’ begins. Participating restaurants across Denmark will offer special three to five-course menus at a fixed special price.
Dining week continues until February 18.
You can find more information including a list of all the participating restaurants HERE.
Saturday, February 10:
The National Gallery of Denmark (SMK) unveils a new exhibit focusing on Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti called ‘What Meets the Eye’. Giacometti is known internationally for his iconic depictions of long-limbed human figures.
The gallery is located in Copenhagen and the exhibit runs until May 20.
You can find more information HERE.
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The Refugee Museum of Denmark (FLUGT) opens its ‘Moriam - In Memoriam’ exhibit. Danish documentarian Michael Graversen is behind the exhibit, which tells the story of the people he met at the Moria refugee camp in Lesbos.
At the launch of the exhibit he will present his documentary ‘The Ghosts of Moria’.
FLUGT can be found on Præstegådsvej 21 in Oksbøl
You can learn more HERE.
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Want to ski in Copenhagen? You can pull off this minor miracle in a city without mountains, or snow for that matter, today. CopenHill, the award-winning waste management plant, with its unique built-in ski hill is offering a few hours of free skiing.
The event is being put on by SOS International, which will be on hand to share advice on how to avoid skiing injuries.
CopenHill is located at Vindmøllevej 6.
You can find more information (in Danish) HERE.