Danish municipalities have long understood this. In one fell swoop, the number of Danish frontrunner municipalities in the climate area is now rising from 20 to 66.
Ballerup, Odense and Hjørring are some of the 46 new municipalities that are putting a turbo on the local climate effort.
Through the project DK2020, they must all 46 make climate action plans that live up to the Paris Agreement.
The parties behind – Realdania, the National Association of Local Authorities (KL) and the regions – call the interest overwhelming.
– The municipalities have a crucial role when we talk about bus operation, heat supply, infrastructure and waste. They sit with a giant wrench to turn up or down our daily greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, their efforts are absolutely crucial, says CEO of Realdania Jesper Nygård.
The association first helped to get the project started. With inspiration from the 40 largest cities in the world, Danish municipalities had to make similar local plans to save the world’s climate.
20 municipalities have therefore already been up and running since last year in the so-called DK2020 collaboration. They are all on the steps with ambitious climate plans that live up to the international Paris Agreement.
But with KL and the Danish Regions as new partners, the project has gained new air.
The 46 new climate municipalities, which were approved on Thursday, will gradually bring Denmark to the forefront internationally when it comes to the crucial local efforts against climate change and less CO2 emissions.
– My hope is at the next application round in 2021 that all the last municipalities choose to join. In that case, we will be the first country in the world to have a “Paris Agreement” for all the country’s municipalities, says Jesper Nygård.
By 2050, the total of 66 municipalities must be zero emitters of greenhouse gases.
Source: The Nordic Page
