An ambitious plan, launched in 2009, that aims to make Copenhagen the first city with net-zero CO2 emissions. Transport, energy and construction are the key sectors in the fight against climate change.
"We have a 20-year window to act." This is how the meeting with Jorgen Abildgaard, executive director of the City of Copenhagen's Climate Plan, begins. An Americano, a room with a view over the city, and an optimistic outlook on the future. The Danish capital's municipality has a dedicated office here for "decarbonisation". "We know there will be enormous investments in transport, infrastructure and the energy sector. We know we can drive electric vehicles, that aircraft can be powered by biofuel, that buildings can consume less energy." This is why Copenhagen has put itself forward as the world's first carbon-neutral capital, to demonstrate what it is possible to achieve today, particularly for small and medium-sized cities. "It's a matter of political will — the technologies are there." In 2009 the city hosted COP15, remembered by most as an outright failure. But from that moment on, the city administration laid the foundations for becoming a zero-emissions city.
The Danish capital is a growing city, following what is in fact a global trend. Today around 600,000 people live in Copenhagen, with an increase of 1,000 residents every month. Those numbers rise to 1.8 million when the Hovedstaden region (literally "capital region") is taken into account. A 20 per cent increase over 15 years, which will bring the city's population to 800,000 by 2025. To achieve the goal of climate neutrality relative to 2005 CO2 emissions, the city administration has been working since 2009 across different areas, with a long-term project backed by all the political parties that have governed the city in recent years. In 2005, the city's CO2 emissions were well above 2 million tonnes (nearly 2.5 million in 2007). By 2025 they will need to fall to 1.2 million tonnes, without increasing despite the growth in human activities such as energy production, transport and industry (by 2015 the city had already cut emissions by 20 per cent).
To reach this goal, by 2025 electricity generation, heat for space heating and cooling will be produced primarily from wind, biomass, geothermal energy and waste incineration. The objective is for the city's district heating to achieve CO2-emissions neutrality by that year. "We want the city to become a laboratory," explains Abildgaard, stressing that "we are converting the old coal-fired power stations to run on biomass." Today 99 per cent of the heat that warms the city comes from district heating, produced by three power stations in the city, one of which is fuelled by municipal solid waste. Among these, the Avedøre Power Station produces both electricity and heat and can be run on several types of fuel: coal, fuel oil, gas, wood and straw. District heating is 63 per cent powered by renewable sources, but the goal is to reach at least 80 per cent by the middle of the next decade. To this end, a new biomass power station is under construction and is expected to come online in 2020, by which date "I can say we will no longer be using coal," Abildgaard notes as he shows photographs of the station under construction and how it will look once completed. A full-scale phase-out in every sense.
"We want the city to become a laboratory. That is why we are converting the old coal-fired power stations to run on biomassJorgen Abildgaard, executive director of the Climate Plan 2025
Denmark is known as the home of wind. Within the Nordic market – the electricity market that unites the Scandinavian countries with Denmark – it sells part of the electricity produced by wind farms installed on national territory and out at sea. The small country can boast as much as 5.7 GW of installed wind capacity, of which 1.3 GW is offshore, while it plans to double its installed capacity within two years. The capital alone has 114 MW installed, which will grow to 460 MW by 2025, which should allow the city to produce more electricity than it needs. Electricity generated by wind would help reduce emissions by around 360,000 tonnes, while switching to biomass for heat production would bring a saving of a further 365,000 tonnes. The city will also continue to burn waste, though improving waste sorting – above all with regard to plastic – which would bring about a reduction in emissions of a further 100,000 tonnes.
Even a few hours in the city is enough to realise that rush hour here is dominated by bicycles. The capital is estimated to have at least 560,000 bicycles, almost one per inhabitant, while there are over 350 kilometres of cycle lanes. It is, of course, a cultural attitude, perhaps born with the first oil crisis of the 1970s. The fact remains that today 43 per cent of home-to-school and home-to-work journeys are made by bicycle. The goal is to reach half by 2025, which would bring a further reduction of 40,000 tonnes of CO2. In 2010, emissions related to transport were estimated at around 544,000 tonnes of CO2, corresponding to 22 per cent of the city's total emissions. Road traffic alone was responsible for 70 per cent of total emissions. The aim is to reduce car use to 25 per cent, so that 75 per cent of journeys take place on foot, by bike or by public transport. To this end, the fleet of buses running in the city – very dated models – will be replaced with electric vehicles: a reorganisation of the city's 33 lines, totalling 358 buses. But how will such investments be recouped? Through high electricity taxation, already today the highest in Europe. The electric car will also play its part. According to estimates, by 2025 electric cars will be the most obvious choice, given that 96 per cent of all car journeys in Denmark are below 50 km.
Reducing emissions obviously requires more than simply increasing the share of renewables or green vehicles. Above all, it means cutting energy consumption and increasing efficiency, particularly in public buildings. According to the city plan, by 2025 the energy used by the city of Copenhagen to manage buildings and operate street lighting will be significantly reduced: 20 per cent less for heating and electricity consumption, through the retrofitting of existing buildings and the construction of highly efficient new ones. One example above all is the major regeneration project for the city's former naval area, transformed into the Nordhavn Energy Lab: a zero-CO2-emissions district where the latest technologies in energy production and storage, sustainable mobility and energy efficiency will be tested.
The Danish capital's journey began more than 10 years ago and has involved the direct participation of every sector concerned: industry, energy utilities, public administration and citizens. The goal was simple and above all pragmatic: to make Copenhagen a cleaner, healthier and arguably happier city.
