“Stop Looking for Oil Here,” This Country Says

Denmark will no longer issue new contracts for oil and gas exploration and extraction in the North Sea as the Scandinavian country wishes to be fossil fuel free by 2050.

“We want to be climate neutral in 2050. And if we are to have any credibility in that, then this is a necessary decision,” says Denmark’s climate minister Dan Jørgensen. “We are now putting a final end to the fossil era… We’re the European Union’s biggest oil producer and this decision will therefore resonate around the world.”

Denmark was supposed to grant new licenses in a near future, but authorities have decided to not go through with them so the new policy can begin immediately. Only the contracts in progress will be brought to a conclusion. Environmentalists hope that this decision will inspire other countries to follow in Denmark’s footsteps. As part of the Paris Climate Accord, Denmark plans on producing net zero emissions by 2050.