Sound of Green - Stories from Denmark's green transition (State of Green)

Denmark has successfully engaged in public-private climate action for decades, and in 2019, it was taken to new heights with a project that has been dubbed the greatest green brainstorm in the nation’s history. In this episode, we explore how the public and private sector can work together to supercharge the green transition.

In each episode, we invite experts and stakeholders to convey Danish perspectives on a given challenge of the global green transition. Through decades of experience, Denmark has turned many of these challenges into opportunities. By sharing these experiences, we hope to help you do the same.

When Denmark goes to the COP, both public and private actors come along to advocate for green progress.

While the fight against climate change holds many uncertainties, it’s abundantly clear that strong partnerships between public and private actors are a crucial part of the solution. And the COP offers a unique opportunity for those partnerships to be fostered and exercised.

Read more about public-private partnerships at https://stateofgreen.com/en/

In this episode, we speak with Mark Watts from the C40 network, Sophie Hæstorp Andersen, Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Pelle Bournonville from Realdania, and Louise Koch from Grundfos. Together, we explore how cities are taking the lead in the race to net-zero.

Today, cities are home to over half of the world’s population and are responsible for 70% of greenhouse gas emissions. As they increasingly grapple with the adverse effects of climate breakdown, they represent a critical unit to mobilise in the green transition. Yet, amidst these challenges, pioneering cities around the world are forging a path towards a sustainable future for their communities and the planet. And Danish cities and municipalities are making historic contributions to that endeavour.

For more information and case material on green cities, visit https://stateofgreen.com/en/publications/?focus_areas=112,108

In this episode of Sound of Green podcast, we explore ABQP4WIND: a industry-wide collaboration which have helped Denmark shape a global quality framework for wind energy.

As the global build-out of wind energy accelerates to meet climate and energy security targets, so do the complexities of scaling its supply chains. In this episode of Sound of Green, we explore how a Danish-born initiative, APQP4Wind, is setting a new global standard for quality and collaboration in the wind industry.

Learn more at stateofgreen.com

In this episode, we explore why it is not just imperative, but also lucrative to invest in the global green transition. 

It’s not news that the world urgently needs to transform energy systems and reduce CO2 emissions, increase climate resilience and protect biodiversity to secure a sustainable and liveable planet. What is sometimes forgotten though, is that these needs come with an initial hefty price tag. 

Download our free publication on green financing to learn more: https://stateofgreen.com/en/publications/financing-the-green-transition/

In this episode, we explore why green hydrogen and power-to-x is a natural next step in the journey towards a future powered by renewable energy.

There’s no doubt that renewable energy has been and continues to be our most important vehicle in the global green transition. Around the world, wind turbines and solar cells are increasingly powering our everyday lives - from heat pumps to electric vehicles, the need for clean energy is on the rise now more than ever. But as we’ve touched upon before in this podcast, there are parts of our society for which direct electrification is not a feasible solution.

Find more information on power-to-x and green hydrogen in our publication:

https://stateofgreen.com/en/publications/green-hydrogen-is-danish-hydrogen/

Growing urbanization and climate change create complex risks for our cities, making them hotspots for water crises. In this episode, we explore how urban water management can build more resilient and liveable cities.

Buildings are the spatial foundation of our daily lives. They are our homes, workspaces, schools, hospitals and serve many other human needs and purposes. But buildings are also one of the largest global consumers of energy. They account for a staggering 40% of global energy consumption and are responsible for about 30% of global CO2 emissions. As such, it is imperative that we make both the existing building stock and future buildings energy efficient. And if we do it right, the green transformation of the built environment can bring about a kind of sustainability that fundamentally improves the well-being of us all. In this episode, we explore how pursuing energy efficiency in buildings is crucial in the journey towards sustainable societies – both environmentally, economically, and socially. Visit stateofgreen.com and download our publication 'Energy renovation of buildings'..

In this episode of the Sound of Green podcast, we explore the potential of increased grid and market interconnectivity through the case of Viking Link: the world’s longest power cable connecting the UK and Denmark.

Listen to the episode and get insights from key actors such as Michael C. Hjorth, Chief Commercial Officer at NKT,  Kristoffer Böttzauw, Director of the Danish Energy Agency and Rebecca Sedler, Managing Director of Interconnectors at the UK energy company National Grid.

How do you create an energy supply that is both green, affordable and secure all at the same?

As the geopolitical events of the past few years have shown, it is an ideal that’s difficult to uphold. However, those same events have also made it clear that we can’t let the flow of renewable energy be constrained by borders if we want to see the green energy transition through.

To be sure, distributing energy across borders and connecting both grids and markets requires a complex level of collaboration – one that Denmark has long succeeded in.

For more information and case material on interconnectors: https://stateofgreen.com/en/focus-areas/energy-distribution-and-integration/

How do you create a cost-effective and sustainable heat transition? Why has Denmark chosen to bet on district heating? And what does it take to unlock its benefits?

These are some of the questions discussed in this Sound of Green episode about heat planning and district heating.

In this episode, we explore how decades of Danish experiences with heat planning and district heating are being disseminated and tell the story of the value they’ve already created just south of the Danish border.

The story is told by Toke Liengaard advisor and team leader at the Danish Energy Agency, Volker Kienzlen, managing director of Klimaschutz- und Energieagentur Baden-Württemberg and Markus Lempp, Head of International Policy, Markets and Energy Economics at Danfoss.

For information, check out our white paper at stateofgreen.com: https://stateofgreen.com/en/publications/district-energy/

50 years ago, the late Prince Henrik of Denmark inaugurated the Danish extraction of oil and gas from the North Sea. 50 years later, on the 8th of March 2023, his son, Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, took part in reversing the traffic in the pipelines in a greener direction. He sent the first ever CO2 down the pipes to be stored underground, marking the beginning of a new business adventure in the global green transition. Find more information in our publication: https://stateofgreen.com/en/publications/carbon-capture-utilisation-and-storage/