Denmark still has the world’s best energy system

World Energy Council ranks Danes first for fourth straight year

Since the World Energy Council launched its Energy Trilemma Index in 2014, Denmark has finished top every year. That trend won’t be staved off this year.

Denmark ranked first again in the newly published index (here in English), ahead of Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the UK – which had a masterful year, jumping up to fifth all the way up from 11th. The Danes ranked first for Energy Security, 12th for Energy Equity and fourth for Environmental Sustainability.

“It’s with pride that I see that Denmark has the best energy system in the world. It underlines how we have found a strong combination of supply security, green transition and affordable energy,” said the climate and energy minister, Lars Christian Lilleholt.

“Denmark worked hard to get to the top … and it’s a position we need to do everything at our disposal to maintain, particularly given we are about to begin negotiations for a new energy agreement in Parliament in the new year.”

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African agony
Lilleholt went on to credit Denmark’s broad political co-operation across party lines regarding its energy policy since the 1970s as a key reason for the country’s high ranking in the index.

Germany came in sixth, with Norway, France, New Zealand and Slovenia completing the top 10.

It was unfortunately an all-African affair at the bottom of the index with Niger coming in dead last, preceded by Benin, Tanzania, Chad, DR Congo and Zimbabwe. Africa’s best result came from Mauritius in 47th place.

Other notables included Finland (11), Iceland (14), the US (15), Ireland (20), Canada (21), Japan (30), Australia (33), South Korea (39), Russia (44), Brazil (54), Mexico (57) Indonesia (75), China (86) and India (92).

(photo: WCE)