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
Climate Change
DeBriefed 19 June 2026: Bonn talks end in ‘gridlock’ | Energy’s ‘new era’ | Oceans in climate negotiations
Welcome to Carbon Brief’s DeBriefed.
An essential guide to the week’s key developments relating to climate change.
This week
Bonn talks close
‘SIDE-STEPPING AND STALLING’: UN climate talks in Bonn have ended in “gridlock”, according to Climate Home News. The outlet reported on the failure to balance developing countries’ need for climate-adaptation finance with “richer nations’ desire to move forward” on emissions cuts. It added that both topics were subject to “rule 16”, meaning no agreement could be reached and work will be pushed to the COP31 summit in Turkey. Inside Climate News quoted UN climate executive secretary Simon Stiell, who said the talks had seen “side-stepping and stalling”.
JUST TRANSITION: One “glimmer of hope” came from negotiations on achieving a “just transition”, reported Euronews. The news outlet said negotiators “made headway on operationalising the Belém-Antalya mechanism”, intended to support people in the shift to a low-carbon economy. However, Politico concluded that much of the focus in Bonn had “shift[ed] to efforts outside diplomatic talks – raising questions about the future of global climate negotiations”.
‘ATTACKING SCIENCE’: Agence France-Presse reported on the EU, Switzerland and “dozens of developing nations” warning of “attacks on science” by a “small group of fossil-fuels interests” in Bonn. Table Briefings explained that “the 1.5C target is increasingly being challenged” and the role of the UN climate-science panel – the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – in an upcoming assessment of global climate progress “remains controversial”. See Carbon Brief’s full write-up of the talks for more detail.
US-Iran deal
PRICE DROP: The US and Iran announced that they have reached an interim agreement to halt the war and reopen the strait of Hormuz, reported Bloomberg. Oil prices have fallen, as the “long-awaited deal” began the process of “eas[ing]” the global energy crisis triggered by the conflict, according to the New York Times. The Associated Press noted that high fuel prices will “likely outlast the Iran war”.
‘OIL GLUT’: The Financial Times reported that the International Energy Agency (IEA) has forecast a “glut of oil” emerging next year, if the peace deal holds. The IEA said this would allow countries to build new strategic reserves, as they “review their energy strategies and policies in response to the crisis”, according to Reuters.
‘NEW ERA’: Agence France-Presse reported that oil and gas companies have “few illusions about a return to normal for the Gulf energy industry after more than three months of blockage”. One analyst told the newswire that the war “showed the oil and gas industry that Hormuz risk is no longer just a geopolitical headline”.
Around the world
- OCEAN MONITOR: The Trump administration is “abandoning its plan” to dismantle a $368m ocean monitoring system key for tracking climate change after a “bipartisan backlash on Capitol Hill”, reported the New York Times.
- CORAL HAVEN: The New York Times covered preliminary research, presented at the Our Ocean Conference in Kenya, suggesting there could be three times as many “coral refugia” – where corals are relatively safe from climate change – than previously thought.
- BAD CREDIT: Down to Earth reported that the first carbon credits issued under the Paris Agreement’s new Article 6.4 mechanism are “facing scrutiny over alleged links to institutions controlled by Myanmar’s military junta”.
- OIL BACKTRACK: Reuters reported that oil-and-gas company Equinor has dropped a renewable-energy target and scaled back clean investments, while another Reuters story noted that Shell is selling off its offshore wind assets.
1.1 billion
The number of children facing “at least three overlapping climate hazards”, according to a new Unicef report covered by Agence France-Presse.
Latest climate research
- Including the “permafrost carbon-climate feedback” in climate models increases the chance of exceeding “tipping elements” – such as the Greenland ice sheets, Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation or Amazon rainforest – by up to 50% | Environmental Research Letters
- The intensity of influenza outbreaks could decline in temperate regions, but increase in tropical areas over the next century, as the climate warms | PNAS Nexus
- European snow cover has declined by 20% for December and January since the start of the industrial era, revealing an “unprecedented ongoing shrinkage of European winters” | Communications Earth & Environment
(For more, see Carbon Brief’s in-depth daily summaries of the top climate news stories on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.)
Captured
The more than 2m battery electric vehicles (BEVs), 1m “plug-in” hybrids (PHEVs) and 100,000 electric vans on UK roads are already saving drivers a total of around £3bn a year, according to new Carbon Brief analysis. This amounts to savings of more than £1,100 a year in fuel costs for each BEV driver in the UK. The analysis comes amid reports in UK media this week that the government is considering “watering down” its EV sales targets.
Spotlight
Oceans rising at UN climate talks
The state of the world’s oceans is inextricably linked to the changing climate – and many delegates at UN climate talks want to see more focus on this issue, reports Carbon Brief.
Oceans are often described as the world’s “greatest ally” against climate change – absorbing 30% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and most of the heat generated by those emissions.
They are also the site of important climate solutions, such as huge offshore windfarms and the shipping industry’s transition to cleaner fuels.
At the same time, the oceans themselves present a growing danger to coastal communities and sea life due to sea level rise, marine heatwaves and ocean acidification.
These diverse issues have led to growing calls within the UN climate process for more focus on oceans. During climate negotiations this week in Bonn – known as SB64 – nations and civil society had a chance to air these views during an “ocean and climate change dialogue”.
‘Elevate action’
Oceans first entered UN climate outcomes in 2019, when the final COP25 negotiated text requested a new “dialogue” on “the ocean and climate change to consider how to strengthen mitigation and adaptation action”.
The following years saw this dialogue established as an annual event. However, the political weight of these discussions has been limited.
COP31 is being co-led by Turkey and Australia, but with Pacific islands playing a supporting role. These small islands sometimes self-identify as “large ocean states”, stressing the ocean’s centrality in their societies.
In Bonn, figures from across the presidency threw their weight behind this issue. Chris Bowen, an Australian minister and incoming COP31 “president of negotiations”, told attendees:
“Australia, Turkey and the Pacific see an important opportunity to elevate ocean-based climate action.”
Strategies and finance
The two-day dialogue in Bonn involved a series of panels, statements and breakout groups.
One of the main topics was how oceans are integrated into national climate plans under the Paris Agreement, known as “nationally determined contributions” (NDCs).
Three-quarters of the latest round of NDCs mention oceans, with conservation of “blue carbon” ecosystems the most frequently described action. (Landscapes such as mangroves can both absorb CO2 and protect coastal areas.)
Delegates also discussed alignment with the UN biodiversity process, as well as ocean finance, which currently makes up less than 1% of all climate finance.
(As discussions were taking place in Bonn, country officials also gathered in Mombasa, Kenya for the 11th Our Ocean Conference. Carbon Brief’s associate editor Giuliana Viglione attended the conference and will publish a full summary shortly.)
Developing countries were clear that many of the ocean-related actions in their NDCs would depend on receiving more financial support.
‘Political momentum’
With the backing of the COP31 presidency, delegates were hopeful about where this year’s dialogue could lead.
Charles Hamilton, an advisor for the Bahamas who spoke for the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) in the dialogue, told Carbon Brief that island representatives “are not traveling thousands of miles to just talk and pat ourselves on the back”. He added:
“A dialogue that just remains a dialogue is just more talk – no action.”
Given that, he said “discussions in the dialogue must move into COP decisions and the decisions must be actioned”, noting the importance of finance.
Marina Corrêa, oceans lead at WWF-Brazil, pointed to an upcoming UN climate change Standing Committee on Finance forum as a space to ramp up pressure on ocean finance.
More broadly, she wanted to see the presidencies translate their support into a “leader-level ocean initiative” that could “mainstream” oceans across negotiations.
“We have a really interesting opportunity, in terms of political momentum,” Corrêa told Carbon Brief.
Watch, read, listen
‘HOTTER THAN HELL’: An episode of the BBC’s Rare Earth podcast titled “hotter than hell” considered the issue of extreme heat, with input from experts and “people facing up to the hottest temperatures on the planet”.
NOT BROKEN?: John Drake, a professor of ecology at the University of Georgia, wrote an essay for Aeon – also re-published as a Guardian “long read” – questioning the framing of ecosystems and climate systems “breaking down”.
ON COURSE: On his Volts podcast, US climate journalist David Roberts interviewed UK climate minister Katie White, quizzing her about whether the UK will “stay the course with its climate plans”.
Coming up
- 20-28 June: London climate action week
- 21 June: Colombia presidential runoff
- 24 June: UK Climate Change Committee progress in reducing emissions 2026 report to parliament
Pick of the jobs
- Mongabay, managing editor – Africa | Salary: Unknown. Location: Global
- Contexte, environment reporter – Brussels | Salary: €45,000-€60,000. Location: Brussels
- Climate 200, communications director | Salary: Unknown. Location: Australia
- Energy Tracker Asia, energy transition correspondent | Salary: $3,000-$4,000 per month. Location: South-east Asia (remote)
DeBriefed is edited by Daisy Dunne. Please send any tips or feedback to debriefed@carbonbrief.org.
This is an online version of Carbon Brief’s weekly DeBriefed email newsletter. Subscribe for free here.
The post DeBriefed 19 June 2026: Bonn talks end in ‘gridlock’ | Energy’s ‘new era’ | Oceans in climate negotiations appeared first on Carbon Brief.
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DeBriefed 19 June 2026: Bonn talks end in ‘gridlock’ | Energy’s ‘new era’ | Oceans in climate negotiations
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