Since the process used to extract shale gas, hydraulic fracturing (popularly 'fracking'), is known to carry negative environmental and human health risks (most notably through groundwater contamination), and because shale gas extraction is a very resource intensive process (it requires a lot of water and transportation), and finally because, from an environmentalist point of view, it is essentially just another fossil fuel, which will delay a clean energy transition in Denmark and contribute further to climate change, 'fracking' is receiving criticism and resistance from Danish environmentalist groups.

In 2011 the Danish climate justice group Copenhagen Climate Collective began campaigning and mobilising preventive resistance to fracking in Denmark.

Later Greenpeace Denmark and Dansk Naturfredningsforening (the Danish Society for Nature Conservation) issued public statements, where they criticised Danish shale gas exploration projects and took a clear anti-fracking stand.

Currently Skifergas - Nej Tak ! (Shale gas - No Thanks!) is the main anti-fracking player in Denmark.

Skifergas - Nej Tak! is a campaign platform or process that facilitates collaboration between the diverse local anti-fracking groups/organisations/individuals in Denmark, herein representatives from the communities living in the locations where shale-gas extraction is planned to take place.

The ongoing second phase is concerned with technicalities of the project. A couple of vertical wells will be constructed, through which it will be possible to gather data about the geology of the Danish underground, natural gas content, mineral content, etc. Possibly there will also be gathered seismic data, if there is a need for that.

According to the energy companies independent studies about the impacts on the local society and the environment will also be carried out in this phase. These studies will e.g. consider biodiversity, soil quality, hydro-geology, landscape descriptions.