DANISH CHILDREN CLIMB, GET MUDDY, WALK TO SCHOOL AND SLEEP OUTSIDE IN PRAMS. THIS IS NOT NEGLIGENCE. IT IS A DIFFERENT BASELINE FOR NORMAL CHILDHOOD. Adults still keep children safe. The point is not to make risk glamorous. It is…
IN DENMARK, A LIBRARY IS NOT ONLY WHERE YOU BORROW A NOVEL. IT IS WHERE YOU SIT, WORK, BRING A CHILD, USE A PRINTER, JOIN A TALK OR JUST GET OUT OF YOUR APARTMENT WITHOUT BUYING A $7 LATTE. That…
IN DENMARK, MANY BOTTLES AND CANS COME WITH A DEPOSIT. YOU BRING THEM BACK, FEED THEM INTO A MACHINE, AND GET YOUR MONEY BACK. SIMPLE. SLIGHTLY SATISFYING. The point is not to make recycling a moral performance. It is to…
PUTTING A DATA CENTER IN A COLD COUNTRY DOES NOT MAKE IT GREEN. CLEAN ELECTRICITY, EFFICIENT DESIGN AND HONEST ACCOUNTING DO. Denmark attracts major data-centre investment with reliable fibre infrastructure and a large share of renewable electricity. Those are good…
DENMARK’S VAT IS 25%. THAT IS A BIG NUMBER. BUT THE PRICE ON THE SHELF IS THE PRICE YOU PAY. NO LAST-MINUTE MATHS AT THE CHECKOUT. In Denmark, VAT is included in the price of nearly all goods. That does…
THE DANISH TAX AGENCY ALREADY KNOWS A LOT ABOUT YOUR INCOME AND DEDUCTIONS. SO THE ANNUAL TAX RETURN IS OFTEN A CHECK, NOT A SEASONAL PANIC ATTACK. Employers, pension providers and other institutions report much of the relevant information automatically.…
IN DENMARK, ONE SECURE DIGITAL ID CAN OPEN THE DOOR TO TAX, HEALTH, BANKING AND A LOT OF DAILY LIFE. IT IS BRILLIANT — PROVIDED THE SYSTEM DESERVES THE TRUST IT ASKS FOR. Denmark went digital by default. Most interaction…
DENMARK BUILT A LOT OF WIND POWER. THAT IS NOT THE SAME AS DECLARING VICTORY AND GOING HOME. Wind is central to Danish electricity, but wind arrives when it arrives. A serious green system needs cables, storage, flexible demand, neighbours…
DENMARK DOES NOT MAKE DAYCARE FREE. IT MAKES IT SUBSIDISED ENOUGH THAT HAVING A CHILD DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY END ONE PARENT’S CAREER. Publicly supported daycare is one of the quiet engines behind Danish family life. Children often start before their…
DENMARK’S PARENTAL-LEAVE SYSTEM IS BUILT AROUND THE IDEA THAT A BABY HAS TWO PARENTS, NOT ONE PRIMARY PARENT AND ONE HELPER. After a birth, both parents have leave rights, including individually reserved weeks. The rules are not perfect, and families…