An additional 46 municipalities in Denmark will develop climate action plans using the C40 Climate Action Planning framework. This is in addition to the 20 Danish municipalities that are already on their way to finalising their plans and means that well over half of the municipalities in Denmark are now working towards setting ambitious climate targets.
The partners behind the project – Realdania, KL Local Government Denmark and the five Danish regions – are all amazed by the interest and ambitions of the municipalities.
46 Danish municipalities have all committed to setting a clear goal: net-zero by 2050. All of the municipalities will be using the global C40 Climate Action Planning Framework, which was developed for C40 megacities as a guide to identifying pathways to at least halving emissions by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions no later than 2050 in accordance with the goals of the Paris Agreement. Denmark is the first country where a majority of municipalities will be working together to develop their plans by using C40’s tools and network – the aim is for this model to be replicated all across the globe.
The pilot project was launched in 2019 and involved 20 Danish municipalities. In September The partners behind the project announced a second phase of the project opening up for every Danish municipality to apply for the project.
Mark Watts, Executive Director of C40 Cities: “We are thrilled to see so many Danish Municipalities embarking on this important work and would like to thank all the partners for making this possible. The ambition and initiative from the Danish municipalities will inspire cities globally. C40 Cities, alongside our partners, are determined to mobilize 1,000 cities around the world to join the Race to Zero in time for COP26. If cities around the world matched the ambition of Danish municipalities then that target could be increased to 10,000. Danish municipalities are leading the way, adapting to an already changing climate, and acting immediately to at least halve emissions by 2030 – to avoid a climate crisis.”
Jesper Nygård, CEO of Realdania: “The consequences of climate change are already very clear for Danish municipalities and regions. And many of the specific challenges can be resolved locally and regionally. Therefore, Danish municipalities and regions have a key role in the climate struggle. In DK2020 they are working closely together, and I’m in no doubt that this unique collaboration will write history. It will inspire climate players both in Denmark and abroad, where the members of the C40 cities network behind DK2020 are looking in earnest towards climate work by the Danish municipalities“
Jacob Bundsgaard, Chair of KL Local Government Denmark and Mayor of Aarhus: “When applications for the project began to trickle in from municipalities throughout Denmark, we saw a clear indication of the enormous commitment and desire to take the lead in local climate initiatives. It’s incredible to see how this really is close to the heart of so many municipalities and people. Real contributions to reaching the goal of climate-neutrality in 2050 start in everyday life in local communities. On the part of the municipalities, we look forward to close collaboration with all the local forces – citizens, the business community and civil society – and I’m looking forward to following developments in new local climate action plans, as well as the interesting projects springing up all over Denmark.”
Stephanie Lose, Chair of the Danish Regions: “DK2020 is an important climate partnership between municipalities and regions, which will boost the green transition in Denmark and reduce our climate footprint. We look forward to working closely with municipalities in the new fora, in which we will also build on existing collaboration that has generated positive results, for example within climate change adaptation. In the regions, we’re ready to bring our knowledge and experience into play, so that all municipalities can develop ambitious, but realistic climate action plans. With Realdania and CONCITO as partners, we have a strong basis for translating the overall goal to local and regional action.”
Read more about the municipalities
The ‘DK2020’ project is a Danish adaptation of C40’s global Deadline 2020 programme – a commitment from the world’s leading cities to urgently pursue high ambition climate action, demonstrating how we can deliver on the 1.5℃ goal of the Paris Agreement. In 2016, C40 Cities launched Deadline 2020, detailing the level of ambition and action needed by C40 cities to play their part in converting the Paris Agreement from aspiration into reality. As of now, 121 cities around the world have committed to developing climate action plans.