Copenhagen´s path to sustainability

I visited this city 3 years ago with some friends and I was so happy to see that there are so many sustainable initiatives in Copenhagen. Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, was European Green Capital 2014 and was named the world's most bike-friendly city in 2017 but is now moving further up the sustainability ladder by aiming to become the first carbon-neutral capital city by 2025. A midterm goal was to reduce carbon emissions by 20% by 2015, which is a goal Copenhagen met already in 2011. The CPH 2025 Climate Plan is a holistic plan with specific goals and initiatives within four focus areas: Energy Consumption, Energy Production, Green Mobility and City Administration Initiatives.

Copenhagen’s most ambitious urban planning project so far is the development of a new district in the city’s northern harbour, Nordhavn, which is the largest urban development project in Northern Europe (planned for 40,000 residents and 40,000 workplaces). The development of Nordhavn is carried out by the Copenhagen Malmö Port, a subsidiary of city development company, By & Havn. Sustainability will be integral to all aspects of the new development and will set new standards for working with sustainability. It does not only relate to a sustainable supply of energy or one or two sustainable buildings, but will be part of every aspect of the everyday life for the thousands of people living there. "Our overall approach to the Nordhavnen project is to work coherently. Instead of working with isolated features, we are creating a holistic concept where environmental, social and economic aspects are all included. What is important is to balance all the elements and make sure that they will not outweigh each other," said Søren Hansen, Project Director at Ramboll, a Danish engineering, design and consultancy company that won the proposal in the international idea competition on the development of Nordhavn.

View of a modern building in Copenhagen — Photo by Adrian Cuj via Unsplash

The new district´s social and sustainability qualities will be supported by the ´five minute principal´: the maximum distance between public transit, institutions and public functions. "The city of Copenhagen's approach to sustainable transportation is to encourage the use of bicycles and public transportation. With this in mind, we are offering local residents alternatives to their car by making sure that it takes no more than five minutes by foot or bicycle to reach public transportation," explained Søren Hansen. This should ensure that the fastest, most convenient and pleasant choice of transport is an environmentally-friendly one.

Furthermore, the CO2-neutral urban area will be supplied with energy by district heating and geothermal energy, while solar cells will provide electricity. The public-private partnership EnergyLab Nordhavn project is testing new technologies that integrate electricity, heating, electric transport and other energy infrastructures in an intelligent energy system. The project will receive a gold certification in the DGNB System. The DGNB assesses buildings and urban districts which demonstrate an outstanding commitment to meeting sustainability objectives and covers all of the key aspects of sustainable building: environmental, economic, sociocultural and functional aspects, technology, processes and site.

Copenhagen ranks second on the Global Destination Sustainability Index with a score of 90%. The city holds the world record for consumption of organic food and 52% of all Copenhageners commute by bicycle every day. 71% Of the hotel rooms in Copenhagen are eco-certified and many of the city’s convention venues are Green Key certified, including the two largest venues Bella Center and Tivoli Congress Center. Copenhagen is also known for its clean water in the harbors which makes it possible for people to go swim in the canals on a hot summer’s day. Not only the water in the harbor is clean, the tap water is of excellent quality so there is no need to buy bottled water. Just bring your reusable bottle and refill at one of the more than 60 drinking fountains, where you can enjoy the Danish tap water for free.

Skateboard copenhagen — Photo by Daniele Salutari via Unsplash

Even though Copenhagen´s tourism numbers are increasing, it has not (yet) experienced over tourism as other cities such as Venice, Barcelona and Amsterdam have. To prevent tourism from becoming a burden on locals and the environment, the city has rolled out a new sustainable tourism strategy. Mikkel Sander, a project manager at Wonderful Copenhagen, the city’s convention bureau, explained that ‘Tourism for Good’ helps “set a clear ambitious course for tourism in Greater Copenhagen”. Tourism, he noted, “must positively impact local and global sustainability towards 2030… and must be part of the solution, not the problem.” Tourism for Good is one of the first strategies for sustainable tourism in the world to address sustainability from a both environmental, social and economic perspective, and at the same time contribute directly to United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Copenhagen wants to reach its 2025 goal by implementing various changes, such as buses that will switch from diesel to electric when current bus contracts expire in 2019. The city is also encouraging the transition to green mobility by creating the necessary infrastructure, such as charging stations for electric vehicles. Furthermore, in the period 2015-2025, Copenhagen will plant 100,000 new trees. Many of these trees will be planted together near Islands Brygge with a view to create a forest in the middle of the city center. Islands Brygge is where the famous harbor baths are located, which have become an iconic Copenhagen landmark.