The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. As of 12 December 2015, it was adopted by 124 countries. The goal is to limit global warming to well below 2, or preferably 1.5 degrees celsius. To complete this goal, countries aim to achieve a climate-neutral world by mid-century.
Denmark is the country that has undertaken this radical project under its arm. So far, this is largely successful. As a result, CO2 emissions have reduced by 42% since 2005, and challenges yet remain, the country plans to upgrade its technology to stay on track. For this reason, a Climate Plan is largely successful.
How does the Climate Plan work?
The plan is based on 4 pillars.
- Energy consumption
- Energy production
- Mobility
- City Administration Initiatives
The increasing population at the rate of 20% is a hurdle that these pillars face.
The targets set are below: –
Energy consumption-
- 20% reduction in heat consumption
- 20% reduction of electricity consumption in commercial and service companies
- 10% reduction of electricity consumption in households
- Installation of solar panels corresponding to 1% of electricity consumption in 2025
Energy Production-
- District heating in Copenhagen is carbon neutral
- Electricity production is based on wind and sustainable biomass and exceeds total electricity consumption in Copenhagen
- Plastic waste from households and businesses is separated
- Bio gasification of organic waste
City Administration Initiatives-
- Reduce energy consumption in municipal buildings by 40%
- Municipal new build up to 2015 meets the requirements of the 2015 classification and up to 2020 meets the requirements of 2020 classification
- The City of Copenhagen’s vehicles run on electricity, hydrogen or biofuels
- The energy consumption for street lighting in Copenhagen is halved
- A total of 60,000 m2 of solar panels on existing municipal buildings and municipal new build is installed
Mobility-
- 75% of all trips in Copenhagen are on foot, by bike or public transport
- 50% of all trips to work or school in Copenhagen are by bike
- 20% more passengers use public transport compared to 2009
- Public transport is carbon neutral
- 20-30% of all light vehicles run on new fuels
- 30-40% of all heavy vehicles run on new fuels
In light of the climate crisis, the city is investing in carbon-neutral public transport. The transport system includes electric and biogas buses, as well as pedestrian-friendly streets. There are loads of bike hire options to take on the circular Harbour Route using one of the car-free bridges. It provides a model of carbon-neutral cities of the future and is inviting visitors to be a part of this change.
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