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When governments fall short, ordinary people can spark extraordinary change. Nowhere is this more evident than in Denmark, where citizens and community groups took the lead in a wind energy revolution that helped set the country on a path to phase out fossil fuels entirely. Decades ago, while the Danish government was hesitating on clean energy, locals banded together to build wind turbines on their own. The result? Denmark today generates 84% of its electricity from renewables, with 54% being from wind. Denmark’s proved that the clean energy revolution can be powered by the people.
People-powered wind revolution
In the 1970s, Denmark faced an energy crossroads. The government was considering nuclear power, but ordinary Danes and NGOs had different ideas. A vibrant anti-nuclear movement emerged with the iconic slogan “Nuclear power? No thanks” and activists didn’t just protest, they offered a solution. Environmental groups and citizens began advocating for wind energy as the safe, clean alternative.
In fact, some communities simply went ahead and built turbines themselves. In 1978, a group of teachers and students constructed a then record-breaking wind turbine at Tvind, proving that local ingenuity could achieve what big utilities hadn’t. This DIY turbine, built by citizens on a shoestring, became a symbol of what grassroots innovation could do.
This early citizen leadership laid the foundation for Denmark’s wind power boom. By the late 1970s and early ’80s, rural communities and eco-minded cooperatives were installing wind turbines to power their towns and farms. Residents pooled funds to erect turbines, sharing both the electricity and the profits. By 1996 there were around 2,100 wind energy cooperatives across Denmark. These co-ops gave tens of thousands of people a direct stake in clean energy.
These citizen-led projects moved forward at a time when government support was modest. While officials slowly came around to renewables, communities were already proving wind power’s viability on the ground. By 2001, over 100,000 Danish families belonged to wind cooperatives that had installed 86% of all the nation’s turbines . In other words, regular people owned the majority of Denmark’s wind infrastructure, long before big energy companies jumped in. This bottom-up momentum not only built turbines, it built public pressure that pushed Denmark’s policies to be greener. Community and NGO leadership filled the gap when the government wasn’t doing enough and ultimately nudged the government to step up as well.
The Middelgrunden Model
A shining example is the Middelgrunden offshore wind farm near Copenhagen. Commissioned in 2000, this 40 MW facility is co-owned by the city’s utility and a cooperative of over 8,500 locals. Citizens invested approximately €23 million, covering half the project’s cost. Through extensive public consultations, the project garnered widespread support, turning potential opposition into pride. Investors saw returns of 6-7% annually, recouping their investments within eight years.
When the people lead a fossil fuel phase out
Middelgrunden was not a one-off, it was a model. Inspired by its success, more community wind projects blossomed across Denmark in the 2000s. In fact, Denmark’s government eventually adopted policies to cement community ownership in all new projects. A 2008 renewable energy law (implemented around 2011) requires that at least 20% of any new wind farm be offered to local residents for purchase. This policy ensures that as wind power expands, communities get a slice of the benefits.
Thanks to decades of grassroots action, Denmark has transformed from a fossil-fuel dependent nation into a global renewable energy leader. Wind now generates over half of Denmark’s electricity and much of that power belongs to the people. By 2016, more than 50% of Denmark’s wind capacity was owned by citizens or co-ops, not corporations.
This people-powered approach also fueled economic prosperity. Denmark became a wind manufacturing giant, with renewables employing around 2% of its workforce and generating billions through exports. Denmark’s transition shows that when the clean energy revolution belongs to the people, climate action and community prosperity go hand in hand.
Australia: ready for a community energy revolution
Looking at Denmark, you might think Australia, with our endless sun, wind and wide-open spaces would be following a similar path. We certainly have the natural potential to be a renewable energy superpower. Yet Australia’s renewable journey has been slower and bumpier, often held back by the influence of fossil fuel interests. While Denmark races toward 100% green electricity, only a bit under 40% of Australia’s electricity currently comes from renewables. And we remain one of the largest exporters of coal and gas. In many ways, Australia today is where Denmark was decades ago: the government is talking about climate solutions, but not acting fast enough. This is where Aussies can learn from the Danish playbook.
The good news is Australians are already stepping up. In the absence of strong federal action in years past, communities, NGOs, and everyday families have taken initiative. Just look at our rooftops: as of 2024, nearly 1 in 4 of Australian households have installed solar panels on their homes, the highest uptake of rooftop solar in the world. That’s millions of Australian families who decided to generate clean power on their own, often long before governments provided any substantial incentives.
Community energy projects are also gaining momentum here. Just look at Hepburn Wind in Victoria, Australia’s first community-owned wind farm. In the late 2000s, locals near Daylesford didn’t wait around for big energy companies to act. They came together, formed a cooperative, and raised nearly $10 million from 2,000 members to make their vision real. By 2011, two turbines were spinning, generating enough clean electricity to power over 2,000 homes.
Hepburn Wind shows what’s possible when communities take the lead. Like Denmark’s early wind pioneers, these locals proved that people-powered renewables can thrive in Australia too.
The power of communities: from Denmark to Down Under
The protest sought to increase pressure on the Australian government to commit to a timeline for a fair and fast phase out away from all fossil fuels, starting with no more coal and gas.
Australia is the world’s third largest exporter of fossil fuels, and the Newcastle Port is the world’s largest coal export port. On the final day of the “protestival”, 170 people were arrested while out in their kayaks blocking the channel to prevent coal ships from passing, successfully forcing one coal ship to turn around.
Danish residents didn’t wait for permission or perfect policies, they organised, invested, and built the future they wanted to see. In doing so, they dragged their leaders along with them and reaped rewards for their communities. Australians have that same spirit. We’ve seen it in the rooftop solar boom, in grassroots campaigns to stop new coal mines, and in local renewable projects that put people and the planet first.
The climate crisis demands urgent action, but Denmark shows that action can begin at the grassroots and turn into a national triumph. It’s a hopeful reminder that even if our leaders are slow, we don’t have to be. When communities lead, politicians will follow. As the Danes have shown, a greener future is not just up to governments or big companies, it’s in our hands. It’s time for Australia’s own people-powered energy revolution.
Sign the petition to demand no new fossil fuels and help spark the change we need.
Can Australia catch up? Top lessons from Denmark’s people-powered energy revolution
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Prepared by a coalition of nine Western Australian union, industry, conservation, and community organisations—including UnionsWA, the Conservation Council WA, and the Smart Energy Council—the WA Clean Energy, Jobs & Industry Plan provides a practical roadmap to transform Western Australia into a clean energy powerhouse while creating thousands of secure local jobs.
Western Australia stands at a pivotal crossroads: lead the global clean energy economy or watch investment, future industries, and secure jobs go elsewhere. The WA Clean Energy, Jobs & Industry Plan outlines a transformative blueprint to harness the state’s world-class solar and wind resources. Discover how legislated renewable targets, green iron manufacturing, and a dedicated regional training strategy can generate tens of thousands of local jobs, lower household bills, and build a resilient, net-zero future for all Western Australians.
WA needs a clear and forward-thinking plan if it is going to become a competitive renewable energy powerhouse and maintain its economic strength through the energy transition.
“Western Australians know a faster renewable energy transition will lower their household expenses and prevent harmful climate pollution. But the community also needs clear direction to ensure this transition will create jobs, lower costs and not cause undue environmental harm.
“Here, sectors representing a broad range of interests have laid the groundwork for those outcomes, clearly outlining what is needed to create a future for WA that is good for the environment, for the climate, for workers and for the economy.
Summary
The WA Clean Energy, Jobs & Industry Plan sets out a strategic roadmap to position Western Australia as a global clean energy superpower while creating thousands of secure local jobs.
The report establishes three overarching goals:
- Creating local employment.
- Maintaining industrial competitiveness.
- Lowering household energy costs
To realize this vision, the framework details actionable measures to follow on from the recent WA Government announcement of a 75% Renewable Energy Target by 2031 for the South West Interconnected System. This includes developing a statewide Renewable Energy Target, coordinating statewide workforce and training pipelines, strategically planning regional infrastructure to safeguard high-value biodiversity and cultural heritage, and ensuring equitable benefit-sharing through household electrification incentives and First Nations equity partnerships. Ultimately, the plan highlights that establishing clear policy and regulatory certainty will unlock lower energy bills, boost power reliability, and secure the state’s global competitiveness in emerging green commodity export markets.
Key Findings
- Statewide Renewable Energy Target and Emissions Reduction Targets: The report calls for a statewide RET and 1.5°C aligned emission reduction targets to remove policy risk, lower capital costs, and attract clean energy investment.
- Transformative Job Creation: Accelerating the transition offers massive employment prospects, including up to 8,800 solar and battery jobs by 2050, as well as 24,000 ongoing and 11,000 construction jobs in a commercial green iron industry.
- Industrial Electrification & Competitiveness: Requiring large gas users to adopt binding electrification timetables and providing concessional financing will protect existing energy-intensive manufacturers from rising energy costs and impending domestic gas shortfalls.
- Green Commodity Export Leadership: Western Australia can build new export markets in green iron, green ammonia, and offshore oil/gas decommissioning by constructing shared common-user infrastructure and setting dedicated Green Commodity Export Targets.
- Coordinated Workforce & Training Pipeline: To address critical skill shortages the plan recommends establishing a WA Clean Energy Jobs Plan 2050, three regional training hubs, and dedicated pathways for female and under-represented apprentices.
- Environmental Safeguards & Community Benefits: Fast-tracked development must be paired with State Planning Policies that avoid high-biodiversity and cultural heritage lands, mandate new data centres to run on additional renewable power, and deliver household electrification rebates and First Nations equity partnerships.
What you can do
WA has an opportunity to lead on sustainable, clean energy and associated industries. You can help by:
- Sending an email to Environment Minister Murray Watt and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, calling on them to reject Browse.
- Sharing this story to help more Australians understand what’s at stake.
- Encouraging your friends and family to take action.
Countries have completed the first “global review” of their progress towards reversing nature loss by 2030 at the COP17 biodiversity talks in Yerevan, Armenia.
The review “notes with deep concern” that, unless action is “rapidly accelerated”, the goal to reverse nature loss and meet a set of 23 targets by 2030 “will not be achieved”.
It “urges” countries to accelerate action, including by “increased ambition in addressing the gaps”.
Much of the discussions in Yerevan focused on how to raise the necessary funds to help developing countries protect nature.
Some major economies pushed to expand the range of nations that are expected to provide finance, with countries agreeing at the end of the two weeks of talks that non-donors that want to contribute can “signal interest” before COP18.
This came after developed countries failed to meet a target to significantly ramp up nature finance over the last few years.
It also came as a landmark fund agreed at COP16 in Colombia to pay communities for the genetic resources derived from nature stands nearly empty two years on.
The Yerevan talks marked the halfway point of the “Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework” (GBF), the “Paris Agreement for nature” first made in 2022 and due to be achieved by 2030.
During the nearly 12-hour-long final plenary, countries voted for Quito, Ecuador, to host the COP18 nature talks, which will be held in 2028.
Countries managed to sign off on all the major negotiation texts, marking a stark contrast to COP16, which ran so far over time that the Colombian presidency lost “quorum”, forcing talks to resume in Rome months later.
Below, Carbon Brief has detailed analysis of all of the key outcomes from COP17.