Creating the world's first carbon neutral capital
Copenhagen - Denmark
03/2019
Human-induced greenhouse gas emissions are now heating our planet faster than at any time in human history, and the effects of climate change can be seen and felt around the world.
Since 2015, more than 190 countries have signed the Paris Agreement , which aims to limit the average global increase in temperature to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels and reduce the impact of climate change through CO2 reduction and investment in renewable energy.
A number of large industrial nations are slow to legislate to meet these requirements, while others aim not only to fulfill their commitments but also to exceed their commitments.
While Scandinavian countries have long been leaders in renewable technology, Copenhagen has announced its plans to become the world's first carbon-neutral capital by 2025.
According to the United Nations (UN) , our cities currently host more than 50% of the global population, consuming more than two-thirds of all energy produced and responsible for more than three-quarters of CO2 emissions. Therefore, cities are now the main focus in the fight to stop climate change.
While Copenhagen is far from being the biggest polluting city on the world stage, the city's authorities want to be a benchmark for other countries to follow.
Copenhagen has reduced its CO2 emissions by 40% since 2005 - largely due to the city's switch from coal to wind power by its utility business. Copenhagen is currently targeting four key areas in its search for carbon neutrals.
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
The most direct way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to reduce the amount of energy consumed by the public.
New construction projects provide more energy efficient building stock, while Copenhagen improves social housing and provides incentives for private owners and businesses to adapt.
While the city authorities make improvements in buildings to reduce energy losses arising from roofs and facades; It works with the Danish Social Housing Authority and local energy suppliers to make heating systems more efficient by supporting digital tools such as LED lighting, energy efficient appliances, smart thermostats.
An important advantage that Copenhagen has in retrofitting these old buildings is that the vast majority of homes are based on ' district heating systems ', where heat is generated from a single facility and distributed to the entire neighborhood or district, compared to individual households.
In this way, it becomes easier to switch all regions from fossil fueled heating sources to renewable energy sources without the need to change the numerous boilers / boilers in the city.
MOBILITY
With more than 375 kilometers of private bike lanes and the vast majority of its population owning bicycles, Copenhagen is considered one of the world's largest cycling capitals.
Although cycling currently accounts for about 29% of all trips in the city, only 33% of trips are by car, putting the city in a leading position in green mobility.
To further encourage cyclists, the city prioritizes bicycle parking facilities in transport networks and commercial areas, while expanding its cycling network with new routes, bicycle corridors and regional "Super" Cycle Highways / Super Cycle Highways. "
With the Urban Ring Line of the Copenhagen Metro opened in mid-2019 and the Port Line to be completed in 2024, public transportation will play an important role in reducing the share of car journeys in the city.
These two new lines will significantly increase the capacity of the network by 2025, be serviced at only 100-second intervals during peak hours, and make public transport more attractive.
The city's bus fleet is also upgraded, replacing existing diesel-fueled vehicles with electric and hydrogen-powered models until 2020; A move that will reduce 16,000 tons of carbon emissions.
While car use has not been completely eliminated, authorities expect to reduce the total rate of travel by car to below 25% by 2025, while the majority of these trips are planned to be made by car-sharing and vehicles powered by alternative fuels.
At the national level, the Danish Government has phased out the sale of gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2030, while offering incentives such as free registration to citizens who buy electric vehicles from 2019.
ENERGY PRODUCTION
Authorities in Copenhagen believe that 80% of the city's CO2 emissions are due to its energy production.
By 2025, the city aims to generate 100% of its energy production from wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and waste incineration sources, producing and storing more energy than it consumes .
2016 Copenhagen 's one of the largest power plants from coal power source biomass ( biomass ) was transformed by, half of all the city's central heating comes from carbon-neutral resources.
By 2020, this ratio will rise to 100%, as the use of coal will be completely eliminated.
District heating is also applied as district cooling systems , which cool large buildings in the city using sea water, thus reducing energy consumption by up to 80% compared to conventional air conditioning.
In addition, the city is preparing to build 360 wind turbines by 2025 , both around Copenhagen and offshore, thereby providing carbon-neutral electricity for the majority of the city and eliminating 42% of greenhouse gas emissions.
In order to contribute to the energy production capacity of Copenhagen, waste material in power plants is used as fuel in electricity and heat generation.
While Denmark currently imports waste from Germany and the UK for incineration in regional waste power plants , Copenhagen has made a political agreement with waste resource centers not to import waste.
However, with the decrease in consumption and the increase in recycling, it is predicted that there will be a decrease in waste fuel for these plants and these plants will need waste imports in order to continue their operation in the future.
LEADING WITH APPLICATION
Copenhagen 's governing body wants the City of Copenhagen to be a model city. For this, the city seeks to reassess the bulk of its assets and to facilitate bureaucratic processes for new buildings.
All municipal buildings are equipped with energy-efficient systems and more than 60,000 square meters of new photovoltaic (PV) panels to reduce energy consumption by 40% .
In addition, more than 20,000 street light bulbs are being replaced by LEDs to halve their energy consumption.
Since 2009, the city of Copenhagen has been running programs to educate children, raise awareness about climate change, and prepare future generations to lead these problems for decades to come.
While Copenhagen already has well-structured systems and infrastructure that must be fulfilled by the Paris Agreement by 2050, the effort to make the city carbon neutral by 2025 stems from a desire to show how large cities can actually change their working patterns to combat the effects of climate change .
While other city centers may not have some of the advantages that exist in the city of Copenhagen , the attitude and proven practices in this city will be a model for everyone to strive.
Source:
Original version of this article edited by Dan Cortese https://www.theb1m.com/video/copenhagen-creating-the-worlds-first-carbon-neutral-capital You can view it from the link.