The transition to a
green economy has long been a priority for city bosses in Denmark's capital,
Copenhagen. The efficient transit systems, from buses and trains to one of the
world's most extensive cycle lane networks, are impossible to ignore. Five years
ago, the city was praised as a "green economy leader" in a London
School of Economics (LSE) report. However, city leaders now want to push things
much further.
The new climate plan CPH
2025 reveals the ambition for Copenhagen to become carbon neutral capital city
in just six years. Frank Jensen, Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, said in the
introduction that the plan is ambitious but achievable: "We are already
well underway. In 2011, Copenhagen had reduced CO2 emissions by 21% compared to
2005," he said.
Stimulating a green
economy
The plan states that
the projects should secure and improve the quality of life in Copenhagen and
create opportunities for innovation, jobs and green growth.
To achieve this goal,
the city plan includes substantial infrastructure projects. A transition of its
energy supply to sustainable sources, retrofitting buildings with green
technology, plus making improvements to waste management, public infrastructure
and mobility are all on the agenda.
It is a plan that
directly addresses one of the main challenges highlighted in the LSE report. It
said that although Copenhagen remains one of the most productive cities in
Europe, income and investment levels in other OECD countries and cities have
quickly been closing the gap. The report recommended drawing on the city’s
strengths as an innovation-led economy to remain a green leader.
That appears to be
the plan. The Lord Mayor commented that while several solutions will be based
on existing technology, other areas will require innovation: "A
cornerstone in the climate plan is, therefore, initiatives for collaboration
with the business community, the Government, organisations and research
institutions."
A
massive investment for Copenhagen taxpayers
But it's also a plan
that will come at a great cost to the Copenhagen taxpayer. The city
administration will stump up approximately 2.7 billion Danish kroner ($400
million) between now and 2025 to fully implement the projects.
Despite the high cost,
city management claim the investment will lead to an overall positive economic
picture, and give direct economic benefits for the city's residents. The plan
cites an expected increase in the cost of conventional energy sources in the
years to come and an improvement in health and quality of life for
Copenhageners as principal reasons.
More than half the
expected cost will go on the retrofitting of city buildings to improve energy
efficiency. Large chunks are also earmarked for the replacement of street
lighting and further investment in cycling infrastructure.
What global cities can learn from
Copenhagen
The Danish capital is
certainly making a statement with its ambitious aim to become carbon neutral
20-30 years earlier than many other world capitals. Of course, the city is
already so far ahead and that means there is plenty for other ambitious cities
to learn from.
The
city is in process of expanding Nordhavn from an industrial port to a mixed-use
residential and commercial neighborhood. Rather than just row after row of
luxury apartments, the district is being designed as a self-contained
community. “We created a new vision for transportation: the ‘five-minute city,’
we called it, which means that the city is planned in a way that it only takes
you five minutes to walk from your apartment to a kindergarten, to shops, to
public amenities,” Søren Hansen from design and engineering firm Ramboll told Fast
Company.
But there's more to it
than creating an attractive place to live that deemphasizes the need for a car.
The new district heating and smart-grid integration provides other cities with
a blueprint for how electricity, heat, energy-efficient buildings and transport
can be integrated into one intelligent energy system.
Whether Copenhagen
succeeds with the ambitious plan or not, there is going to be plenty more than
other cities can learn from the various projects in the coming years.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidnikel/2019/08/22/copenhagen-aims-to-be-worlds-first-carbon-neutral-capital-by-2025/#35d1bd767fb3