The Danish Ministry of Environment adopted a law Tuesday obliging public institutions and certain private companies to buy environmentally-friendly vehicles.

The ministry said in a press release that the change in Danish law means that the ministry can raise demands on public and private institutions vehicle acquisitions.

The new rules stipulate that an institution has to have certain demands on the energy consumption, CO2-emission and emission of other pollutants such nitrogen, when the institution is purchasing vehicles.

"It would be natural for a municipality that wants to give its citizens clean air to raise green demands when they purchase vehicles in the municipality," Environment Minister Karen Ellemann was quoted as saying. "I hope that municipalities must take this opportunity to reduce pollution further."

The Danish Ministry of Environment has already enacted green requirements for procurement of new vehicles to the ministry, and a number of municipalities are also working under the new rules.

The new rules are based on a directive from the European Union, which wants to drive the development of cleaner vehicles by creating a demand for the greener vehicles through public spending.

"We can now use the very large total public procurement in the EU as a green incentive," said Elleman. "It will give carmakers a significant signal, thus giving them a much greater incentive to develop cleaner and more energy efficient vehicles in future."

The new requirement applies not only to the public, but also a number of private enterprises such as ports, airports and institutions dealing with gas, electricity, water and mails.