The attitude towards wind energy in Denmark is more positive than in the rest of Scandinavia

More than 9 in 10 Danes (92%) are positive about wind energy. In Sweden, the corresponding figure is 72 percent and in Norway it is 62 percent. This is evidenced by a new survey conducted by Novus on behalf of technology consultant COWI.

Technology consultant COWI commissioned Novus to investigate the situation with wind power in Sweden, Denmark and Norway. In general, the attitude towards wind energy is most positive in Denmark, where up to 9 out of 10 have a positive attitude towards wind energy as an energy source for electricity production.

– In Denmark, for a long time, they have made an active choice to see wind energy as a major component of their energy production. This has made wind power a natural part of the Danish energy debate and landscape. The fact that Denmark has never had nuclear power and has been an active opponent of nuclear power also plays a role, says Pontus Haag, who is in charge of public relations at COWI in Sweden.

The percentage of people negative about wind energy is the same as in Sweden and Norway (17%). However, the percentage of negatives in Denmark is much lower. Just over 1 percent of Danes say they have a fair or very negative attitude towards wind energy.

Investing in wind power along with other forms of energy is absolutely necessary to solve the rapidly increasing need for electricity in the coming decades. In Denmark, people have lived side by side with wind power for a long time. Therefore, it is likely that the negative attitude will disappear almost completely when wind energy becomes a normal part of daily life, says Pontus Haag, who is in charge of public relations at COWI in Sweden.

The percentage of negative opinions of wind energy near home is also at a similar level in Sweden (30%) and Norway (32%). However, in Denmark, even that figure is much lower, with only 12 percent negative about wind power near home.

The survey was conducted by Novus on behalf of COWI. The survey was conducted in Sweden with 1,001 interviews conducted online in a randomly assigned Sweden panel at Novus. In Denmark and Norway, it has been implemented in a similar manner by a collaborative partner of Novus.