- Denmark is the only country in the world where the majority of municipalities are developing plans consistent with keeping global heating below 1.5℃.
- 20 Danish municipalities have finalised their plans using the same tools as C40 megacities such as Los Angeles, Durban, Paris and Mexico City.
20 Danish municipalities have now developed plans to slash their greenhouse gas emissions up to 70% by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050. Using tools developed with and used by megacities around the world, Danish mayors are setting the global standard for what bold climate leadership looks like.
With plans now ready in Aarhus, Albertslund, Allerød, Assens, Fredericia, Frederiksberg, Frederikshavn, Helsingør, Høje-Taastrup, Jammerbugt, Køge, Lejre, Lemvig, Lolland, Middelfart, Randers, Roskilde, Samsø, Sønderborg and Vejle, the milestone marks the end of the first phase in the Danish Deadline 2020 project “DK2020”.
The project has been supported by the Danish green think tank, CONCITO, the climate leadership organisation C40, and funded by Realdania.
The majority of the municipalities now have a target of 70% reduction of GHG emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050 in line with the Danish national targets. Some of the municipalities have raised the ambition even further and set targets of net zero emissions by 2030 or 2045.
Initiatives in the new climate plans announced today include, massive expansion of the number of EV buses on Danish roads; charging infrastructure for electric cars; expansion of renewable energy from wind and solar; investments in public transport, and collaborations to prepare Danish cities for the impacts of climate change. Many of the municipalities have introduced partnerships across the private sector, academia and civil society to ensure the plans are inclusive, robust and can be successfully implemented.
“The climate crisis isn’t limited by national borders or municipal boundaries, so our solutions can’t be either,” said C40 Chair and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “Mayors can’t wait for answers to this emergency to show up on our doorsteps, and C40 Cities will keep working shoulder-to-shoulder to forge a path toward a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable future.”
Denmark is the first country in the world where a group of municipalities have worked together in developing their climate action plans using C40’s tools. Danish municipalities are at the very forefront of global efforts to tackle the climate crisis. A key objective of the DK2020 project is to share the knowledge and experiences of the municipalities in the global C40 network, so other smaller cities and municipalities around the world can be encouraged to develop their own climate action plans.