Lord Mayor of Copenhagen Sophie Hæstorp Andersen has been elected as Vice Chair of the C40 Steering Committee, the governing body providing strategic direction for the global network of nearly 100 cities committed to addressing the global climate crisis.
Sophie Hæstorp Andersen has been the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen since 1 January, 2022, for the Social Democratic Party – the second woman to hold the office. She is working to further develop and improve Copenhagen as a city where healthy and meaningful lives go together with sustainable urban development and rapid carbon reductions. Under her leadership, the City of Copenhagen is developing a new climate plan for 2025–2035 with clear aspirations of becoming carbon-positive and strong ambitions to reduce consumption-based emissions.
Lord Mayor Hæstorp Andersen is convinced that a climate-friendly city is also a healthy and livable city, which Copenhagen is a living proof of. Prior to her role as Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, she was a Member of the Danish Parliament (2001–2005; 2007–2013) and served as Chairperson of the Regional Council at the Capital Region of Denmark (2014–2021), where she was a driving force in developing a green partnership between Danish Regions and Municipalities working together towards more sustainable food production and procurement.
In her new role as Vice Chair on the C40 Steering Committee, Lord Mayor Hæstorp Andersen will be a leading voice in promoting and advocating for bold and innovative climate action in cities worldwide and inspiring change for a better future for all people.
C40’s member cities represent 700 million residents and one-quarter of the world’s economy. Through collaboration and innovation, the mayors of C40 Cities are determined to deliver on the Paris Agreement’s highest ambition and keep global temperature rise to below 1.5°C, and to do so in an equitable way.
Lord Mayor Hæstorp Andersen said: “Cities are doers, not talkers. As new C40 Vice Chair, I will bring decades of green innovation and best practices from Copenhagen into the C40 network. I also aim to take a leading role in reducing consumption-based emissions at the city-level while focusing on the balances and synergies between climate impact, green jobs, health, and liveability. I, too, have strong hopes to bring back new solutions from the network to inspire and support the continued green journey of Copenhagen.”