New law allows Danish municipalities to ban old wood burners

They can choose to apply the ban from 1 January 2023

On 5 May, the Danish Parliament officially approved a new law, allowing the country’s 98 municipalities to ban the use of wood-burning stoves and fireplaces produced before June 2008 in areas with district heating or natural gas. In doing so, the government hopes to significantly reduce air pollution and decrease the number of deaths caused by it.

The disadvantages of wood burners

At the moment, the country estimates that there are around 700,000 wood-burning stoves and fireplace inserts. Of these, about 400,000 are believed to have been produced before 2008. What is more, roughly 55% of the wood-burning stoves are located in areas that have district heating or natural gas.

The Danish Ministry of the Environment discussed the disadvantages of old wood burners, noting that they emit approximately five times as many particles as new stoves. In other words, they are major emitters of hazardous particles that pose a threat to people’s health and safety. 

Expanding on this, the government revealed that around 4,000 Danish people die as a result of air pollution every year. Commenting on this data and the new law, the Minister of the Environment Lea Wermelin shared:

“Air pollution is to blame for thousands of Danes dying prematurely every year. Therefore, we need cleaner air in cities and on residential roads throughout the country. Now, the municipalities get a new tool to ensure cleaner air as we give them the opportunity to ban old wood-burning stoves without the citizens having to establish a new heat source.”

The country’s municipalities will be able to choose to apply the ban from 1 January 2023. However, it is important to note that since the introduction of the ban will be optional, its overall environmental impact cannot yet be determined.