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Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Friday

Elizabeth Anne Brown
Elizabeth Anne Brown - [email protected]
Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Friday
Denmark is very much not on track to meet its ambitious wind energy goals, according to data from the Danish Energy Agency. Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix

A 'disaster' for Danish wind energy, late cancer diagnoses linked to mental health, and a mixed bag for the labour market are among the top news stories in Denmark on Friday.

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'Disaster' for Danish wind energy goals 

Despite lofty ambitions for increasing its wind energy capacity, Denmark will build zero onshore wind turbines in 2023 and 2024, broadcaster DR reports

"I actually think it's a disaster," Kristian Jensen, head of the industry association Green Power Denmark, told DR. "I am disappointed that all the talk about high ambitions has not resulted in better rules and better conditions (for the power companies, ed.), so that we could have an expansion and more green energy." 

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While parliament voted to construct 8 gigawatts of wind energy capacity by 2030, so far only 2.5 gigawatts' worth is slated to be built, according to the Danish Energy Agency. 

"This means we don't have the cheapest way to produce electricity," says Brian Vad Mathiesen, Aalborg university professor of energy planning. "We are in an energy crisis that will not end in the coming years. If we don't get a turbine up and running in 2023, it's a declaration of failure in relation to countries that look to Denmark as a leader." 

Report: Danish doctors miss important diagnoses like cancer in people with mental health concerns 

A new investigation by the Danish Treatment Council has confirmed what many advocacy organizations have long suspected — people with mental health concerns, including depression and anxiety, receive worse care from their doctors for the rest of their body. 

The report concludes that people with mental illness receive later diagnoses for cancer and receive worse treatment, DR says. 

"The risk of dying from all the major somatic diseases" — non-mental illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, and infections — "is higher if you have a mental illness," says Merete Nordentoft, a senior physician and professor of psychiatry who is a co-author of the report. "It almost doesn't matter what your mental illness is." 

READ MORE: Experts call for Denmark to spend billions on mental health services

Danish employment market: hot and cold since November 

The final statistics from November 2022 show 4,300 new jobs added that month, continuing record-setting growth. But economists say the market has since cooled. 

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"Today's numbers are already somewhat outdated," Jeppe Juul Borre, chief economist at Arbejdernes Landsbank, wrote in an analysis. "A fresher picture of the job market shows that unemployment increased by 5,700 people during November and December." 

READ MORE: Ten ways to improve your chances of finding a job in Denmark 

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