Three opposition parties in Denmark are pushing the government to strengthen its commitment to nature protection ahead of negotiations on a new nature and biodiversity law. The Social Liberal Party, the Socialist People’s Party, and the Conservative People’s Party are united in their call for more robust measures.

A key demand is to make the existing goal of protecting at least 20 percent of Denmark’s land area by 2030 legally binding. This would ensure that the commitment is not merely aspirational.

The opposition parties are also advocating for a revised definition of what qualifies as “protected nature”. They argue that current classifications are too broad and include areas like golf courses, which do not represent genuine biodiversity conservation.

Furthermore, the parties are calling for half of the 20 percent protected area to be designated as “strictly protected nature”. This designation would require contiguous natural areas free from activities such as forestry, agriculture, and hunting, providing a higher level of protection for biodiversity.