The energy sector accounts for around one-third of global CO2 emissions. Thus, countries’ urgent need to combat climate change is strongly related to energy companies’ ability to change from ‘black’ to ‘green.’
A Danish example is DONG Energy. The company says its cut in CO2 emissions from electricity and heat production accounts for more than half of the Denmark’s total CO2 reduction from 2006 to 2014. But how can one single company cut more than half of a country’s CO2?
From coal-intensive utility to clean-energy leader
Ten years ago, DONG Energy was one of the most coal-intensive utilities in Europe, but the company decided to change.
Since then, DONG Energy has replaced coal and gas with biomass at a number of its power plants, reducing its coal consumption an impressive 74 percent. Concurrently, the energy giant has constructed huge offshore wind farms in European waters, and today it has built as much as one-fourth of the global offshore wind capacity.
More clean energy, less CO2
As DONG Energy’s fuel usage becomes cleaner, the company’s CO2 emissions drop. Since the utility took a ‘green’ turn in 2006, its CO2 emissions from its power and heat generation have dropped by 48 percent.
The absolute reduction in emissions equals the same amount of CO2 as emitted by roughly seven million cars in a year, which is equivalent to removing all cars from the streets of London and New York City for almost a year and a half.
In the coming years, DONG Energy expects to cut even further on its CO2 emissions, reaching a 60 percent reduction in 2020 compared to 2006.
A world with 100 percent clean energy
DONG CEO Henrik Poulsen elaborates on the company’s clean-energy ambitions in its recently published sustainability report:
“We want to contribute to creating a world with 100 percent independent, green energy — a world where people have a good and healthy life and opportunities to develop without having to worry about their energy consumption damaging the planet.”
To follow through on this mission, DONG Energy continues its transformation with massive investments in clean energy; towards 2020, the company expects that more than 80 percent of its investments will go to expanding its clean energy solutions.