Outreach
Over the years I have contributed to the public debate on economic policy issues and environmental and climate policy issues in my capacities as chairman of the Danish Economic Council, the Danish Environmental Economic Council, the Danish Productivity Commission and the Danish Council on Climate Change.
Selected recent contributions to the Danish public debate (in Danish)
Article (kronik) on the debate on the environmental limits to economic growth in the Danish newspaper Politiken: "Vækst contra udvikling".
Article (kronik) on Denmark's Green GDP in the Danish newspaper Politiken: "Derfor har vi brug for et grønt BNP-regnskab".
In this feature article in the largest Danish newspaper, Politiken, Danish readers can read about the proposals from the Danish government's Expert Group on Green Tax Reform of which I am a member: "En grøn skattereform er vejen til opfyldelse af Danmarks klimamål".
Additional information on the Expert Group on Green Tax Reform can be found here: https://www.skm.dk/aktuelt/groen-vaekst/ekspertgruppen-for-en-groen-skattereform/om-ekspertgruppen-for-en-groen-skattereform/
From early 2019 to early 2021 I was "Climate Commentator" at Politiken, commenting on Danish and international climate policy every second Sunday. Danish readers may find my comments here: https://politiken.dk/person/7754_Peter_Birch%20S%C3%B8rensen
In the fall of 2018, when William Nordhaus was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics, I published the following feature article in the Danish newspaper Børsen: "Klimaøkonomiske Modeller: Genistreg eller Hybris?"
Selected policy comments in international fora
Background: Back in 2011, reflecting on my experience as Head Chairman of the Danish Economic Council and as Chief Economist of the Danish central bank, I gave the two presentations below. Despite this being more than 10 years ago, I believe that these comments still have some relevance, but you are the judge:
"Independent fiscal watchdogs: Rationale and Danish experience" Invited presentation at the international conference on Controlling Public Spending Spending in Advanced Economies organized by the IMF and the Italian Ministry of Finance in Rome, November 14-15, 2011.
"Competing social models in the global economy". Invited lecture given at the 2011 Munich Economic Summit, May 19-20, 2011 (published in the CESifo Forum no. 3, 2011).
Background: The Nordic countries have always been close to my heart. In particular, I have taken a strong interest in Nordic Tax Policy and have participated in several tax reform committees in Norway and have served as consultant on tax policy to the Swedish government. Below are a few of my presentations based on this experience:
"Swedish tax policy: recent trends and future challenges". A report to the Expert Group on Public Economics (ESO), Swedish Ministry of Finance, presented in Stockholm on May 31, 2010. The complete report can be dowloaded here.
"The Mirrlees Review: Lessons for and from the Nordic countries". Invited presentation at the Seminar on Tax Reform, Finnish Government Institute for Economic Research (VATT), Helsinki, October 6, 2009.
"Pressures on EU tax systems and options for reform". Invited lecture at the conference Wanted: The Tax System of the Future organised by the German Ministry of Finance and the Social Science Research Centre Berlin, May 24, 2007.
"The Nordic Dual Income Tax - In or Out?". Invited speech given at the meeting of the OECD Working Party no. 2 on Fiscal Affairs in Paris, June 14, 2001.
"The Danish experience with a Financial Activities Tax". Invited lecture given at the 2011 Brussels Tax Forum organized by the European Commission, March 28-29, 2011.