The Agreement on a Green Denmark catalyses new climate solutions in the agri-food sector
The decision of Danish parliament to implement the Agreement on a Green Denmark sets the course for future food production, mobilising Denmark’s innovation capacity around new sustainable solutions while achieving a better balance between nature, climate and food production.
The Agreement on a Green Denmark marks a historic milestone in the transformation of the Danish agriculture and food sector. The framework of the agreement have been developed through multi-stakeholder dialogue bringing government, agricultural sector, civil society, municipalities, employer organisations and trade unions arround the table of collaboration. The agreement sets a new direction for uniting climate ambition, nature restoration and competitive food production. The success of this agreement depends on the deployment of concrete, scalable solutions.
To move from political commitment to real-world impact, new solutions must be implemented across the agri-food sector. Danish innovation is already delivering technologies that speak directly to the challenges outlined in the agreement. Three new breakthroughs illustrate how research, policy and business are coming together to drive the green transition forward through a solid platform for development of critical innovation.
Methane removal reactor cuts emissions from barn air
One of the most groundbreaking technologies now entering the agricultural landscape is Ambient Carbon’s Methane Eradication Photochemical System (MEPS), developed at the University of Copenhagen. The MEPS reactor uses ultraviolet light and chlorine to break down atmospheric methane with unprecedented speed and efficiency.
Operating at a dairy facility, the system removes up to 70 percent of methane emitted from barns. The process addresses low-concentration emissions that were previously considered technologically unreachable. The system represents a step-change in how emissions control is approached and holds significant potential for livestock housing, biogas plants and wastewater treatment facilities.
Pyrolysis turns waste into climate action
Another pillar of Denmark’s green transformation is carbon sequestration through pyrolysis. Stiesdal SkyClean’s newly commissioned 20 MW pyrolysis plant converts 40,000 tonnes of dried biogas digestate into energy and biochar each year.
The energy supports biogas upgrading processes, while the biochar, when applied to farmland, sequesters carbon and improves soil health. In total, the system removes up to 25,000 tonnes of CO₂e annually. The process is economically viable, compatible with existing farm machinery, and opens new climate opportunities for Danish farmers. SkyClean’s platform is also compatible with future Power-to-X applications, including sustainable aviation fuel, making it one of Denmark’s most versatile green technologies to date.
Feed-based methane inhibition
A third Danish innovation is targeting emissions from within the animal itself. The feed additive known as Stof X2 has demonstrated a 25 percent reduction in enteric methane emissions in dairy cows without affecting yield or feed intake. Developed through trials at Aarhus University, the compound blocks key enzymes used by methane-producing microbes in the rumen.
Unlike its predecessor, Stof X, the new compound does not appear in milk. This makes Stof X2 a stronger candidate for regulatory approval across all ruminants, including lactating animals. Ultimately, it is intended to be part of a “triple-action” feed strategy that combines multiple mechanisms of methane inhibition to achieve up to 50 percent reductions in livestock emissions.
From agreement to action
The Agreement on a Green Denmark has made clear that Denmark’s climate targets require the rapid, science-backed implementation of solutions that reduce emissions, restore ecosystems and support viable farms. Through the transformative agreement, and the alignment of public policy with sectoral innovation, Denmark positions itself as a cradle for new sustainable solutions to scalable value for others countries.
As the transition accelerates, these solutions offer a glimpse of what the new map of Danish food production will be formed by, expanding the existing array of mature climate solutions