Is Copenhagen the World's Most Sustainable City?

Summary

Copenhagen is leading the charge towards sustainable city living with a goal to become carbon-neutral by 2025. The city has invested heavily in cycling infrastructure, with 62% of residents biking daily, and has transformed its harbor from a polluted body to a clean swimming area. A district heating system provides efficient energy use for 99% of homes. Collaborative initiatives like Copenhagen Solutions Lab and Street Lab are tackling air quality and waste management. The city's success is attributed to citizen involvement and the belief that green transformation and economic growth can coexist.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Cities worldwide are rapidly growing, with 70% of the global population expected to live in cities by 2050.
• 🌆 Cities contribute to two-thirds of the world's carbon emissions, making sustainable urban growth crucial.
• 🚴 Copenhagen aims to become the first carbon-neutral capital city by 2025, focusing on mobility, pollution, and energy.
• 🚲 An impressive 62% of Copenhagen residents use bikes for daily transportation, supported by $300 million investment in biking infrastructure.
• 🏊 Copenhagen has cleaned up its waterways, transforming its polluted harbor into a swimmable space for residents.
• 🔥 The city’s district heating system, which captures leftover heat from electricity production, supplies 99% of homes with heat.
• ❄️ Copenhagen also uses district cooling from harbor water to reduce energy consumption for cooling buildings by 70%.
• 🌱 Copenhagen Solutions Lab tests smart city solutions, including air quality sensors to improve urban environments.
• 🌍 Copenhagen's innovative air quality sensors are being used globally in countries like the US, Mexico, and Greece.
• 👥 Citizen involvement is key to Copenhagen's green transformation, with residents actively participating in eco-friendly practices.

Q & A

What percentage of the global population currently lives in cities, and how is this expected to change by 2050?

More than half of the global population currently lives in cities, and this is expected to increase to nearly 70% by 2050.

Why is it crucial to focus on sustainable city growth?

Sustainable city growth is essential due to the increasing urban population and the climate crisis. More people in cities put higher demands on infrastructure and resources, leading to more carbon emissions, which contribute to climate change.

What is Copenhagen's goal regarding carbon emissions by 2025?

Copenhagen aims to become the first carbon-neutral capital city by 2025, meaning they want to create more renewable energy than the dirty energy they use.

What proportion of the world's carbon emissions comes from cities?

Two-thirds of the world's carbon emissions come from cities.

How has Copenhagen addressed mobility as part of its carbon-neutral plan?

Copenhagen has invested nearly $300 million over the past decade to improve its biking infrastructure. As a result, 62% of Copenhageners use bikes for daily transportation, significantly reducing carbon emissions.

How has Copenhagen improved the condition of its waterways?

Copenhagen has transformed its harbor from being contaminated with industrial waste and oil spills to a clean space where people can swim. They have even built a harbor bath for recreational swimming.

What is the role of district heating in Copenhagen's energy system?

Copenhagen uses a highly efficient district heating system, which captures leftover heat from electricity production and distributes it to homes. This system covers 99% of households and is a key component of the city's carbon-neutral plan.

What innovative solution does Copenhagen use to cool buildings more efficiently?

Copenhagen has introduced district cooling, which utilizes cold water from the harbor to reduce the temperature in buildings and server rooms. This system reduces electricity usage for cooling by up to 70%.

What is Copenhagen Solutions Lab, and how does it contribute to the city's sustainability efforts?

Copenhagen Solutions Lab is an incubator for smart city initiatives that uses technology to solve problems related to air quality, waste management, and traffic. The lab's Street Lab, located downtown, tests these solutions in a real urban environment before scaling them to the rest of the city.

What is the key driving force behind Copenhagen's success in its green transformation?

Citizen involvement is the key driving force behind Copenhagen's green transformation. The residents are committed to building a sustainable city, willingly sorting their waste, and using bikes for transportation.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 The Global Urban Boom and Copenhagen's Carbon-Neutral Mission

Cities worldwide are experiencing rapid population growth, with over half of the global population now living in urban areas. By 2050, this number will rise to nearly 70%, posing challenges for sustainable urban growth, especially amid the climate crisis. Copenhagen, Denmark, stands out as a leader in addressing these issues, aiming to become the first carbon-neutral capital by 2025.

05:01

🚴 Copenhagen's Biking Revolution: A Key to Carbon Neutrality

Copenhagen has made significant strides toward carbon neutrality, with a strong focus on reducing emissions through mobility solutions. The city is famous for its extensive bicycle infrastructure, with 62% of residents commuting by bike. Over the last decade, Copenhagen has invested $300 million in biking infrastructure, resulting in more bicycles than cars, contributing greatly to reducing carbon emissions.

🏊 Transforming Copenhagen’s Waterways: From Pollution to Recreation

Copenhagen has successfully cleaned up its once heavily polluted harbor, which was contaminated with industrial waste and oil spills. Today, the harbor is clean enough for residents to swim in, and it serves as a public space for recreation. This transformation showcases the city's commitment to reducing pollution and improving the quality of life for its citizens.

💡 Cutting Energy Consumption: Copenhagen’s District Heating System

Copenhagen’s carbon-neutral plan focuses heavily on energy, which makes up about 80% of its overall goal. The city has implemented one of the world’s most efficient district heating systems, capturing excess heat from electricity production and distributing it to homes. Additionally, district cooling is used to reduce electricity consumption in buildings, further cutting down energy use by 70%.

🔬 Street Lab: A Hub for Smart City Innovation

Copenhagen collaborates with various partners, including the Copenhagen Solutions Lab, to develop smart city solutions. Street Lab is a key initiative where technologies like air quality sensors are tested in real urban environments. This innovation helps monitor pollution and traffic, improving city-wide livability. The success of these technologies has led to their implementation in other countries.

🤝 People Power: The Driving Force Behind Copenhagen’s Sustainability

The true secret to Copenhagen's success lies in the active involvement of its residents. Citizens are committed to building a sustainable city by biking to work, sorting their own garbage, and demanding a high quality of urban life. This strong community support drives the city’s ambitious carbon-neutral goals.

🏙️ Growth and Green Transformation: Copenhagen’s Achievements

Since 2010, Copenhagen has experienced a 20% growth in population while simultaneously cutting its carbon emissions by 42%. This demonstrates that urban growth and green transformation can go hand-in-hand with the right investments. Copenhagen aims to inspire other cities to follow its lead, proving that economic growth and sustainability are compatible goals.

🌱 The Future of Cities: Copenhagen's Green Transformation as a Global Example

Copenhagen's journey toward becoming carbon-neutral hasn't been easy, but its success serves as a model for cities worldwide. Regardless of whether the city meets its 2025 deadline, its transformation demonstrates that green urban development, livability, and a strong economy can coexist. Copenhagen stands as a front-runner in sustainable city development, urging others to follow suit.

Keywords

💡Carbon Neutrality

Carbon neutrality refers to achieving a net-zero carbon footprint by balancing the amount of emitted carbon with an equivalent amount sequestered or offset. In the video, Copenhagen aims to become the first carbon-neutral capital by 2025, focusing on reducing emissions from energy, mobility, and pollution. Their goal is to produce more renewable energy than the dirty energy they consume.

💡Sustainable Cities

Sustainable cities are urban areas designed to minimize their environmental impact while maintaining a high quality of life. The video emphasizes the importance of growing cities sustainably, with Copenhagen as a leading example. It highlights their efforts in transportation, pollution control, and energy use as part of their broader mission to reduce carbon emissions and adapt to the climate crisis.

💡District Heating

District heating is a system that captures leftover heat from electricity production and distributes it to homes through a network of pipes. Copenhagen's district heating system is one of the largest and most successful in the world, providing heat to 99% of the city's households. This system plays a crucial role in reducing the city’s energy consumption, making it a key part of their carbon-neutral plan.

💡Biking Infrastructure

Biking infrastructure refers to the urban planning and facilities that make cycling a safe and efficient mode of transportation. Copenhagen has invested $300 million in this area, resulting in 62% of residents using bikes for daily transportation. This shift from cars to bikes significantly reduces carbon emissions and is a central element in the city's sustainable urban mobility efforts.

💡Air Quality Sensors

Air quality sensors are devices used to monitor and measure pollutants in the atmosphere. In the video, Copenhagen uses these sensors to detect the source of air pollution, allowing the city to improve overall air quality. The sensors are part of the city’s Street Lab initiative and are even being deployed internationally in cities like Oslo and Mexico City.

💡Street Lab

Street Lab is a two-kilometer stretch in downtown Copenhagen used as a real-world testing ground for smart city technologies. In the video, this space is where innovative solutions like air quality sensors are tested before scaling to the rest of the city. The Street Lab is part of Copenhagen’s efforts to improve urban living and solve global problems like pollution.

💡District Cooling

District cooling is a system that uses cold water, often from natural bodies of water, to cool buildings. Copenhagen uses water from its harbor to reduce temperatures in buildings, server rooms, and factories, reducing electricity usage by 70%. This innovative cooling method complements their district heating system and is a major part of their strategy to reduce energy consumption.

💡Green Growth

Green growth refers to economic growth and development achieved while minimizing environmental degradation. The video highlights Copenhagen's ability to grow its population by 20% while cutting emissions by 42%. This demonstrates that urban growth and environmental sustainability can go hand-in-hand with the right investments in green technologies and infrastructure.

💡Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is energy generated from natural resources that are replenished constantly, such as wind, solar, and water. In Copenhagen, increasing the production of renewable energy is essential to their goal of becoming carbon-neutral. The city is focused on generating more renewable energy to replace the dirty energy sources they still use, particularly in transportation and heating.

💡Citizen Involvement

Citizen involvement refers to the active participation of residents in the city's sustainable efforts. In Copenhagen, the local population is a driving force behind the city's green transformation, as they are willing to sort their waste, bike to work, and engage in eco-friendly behaviors. The collective mindset of the citizens is a key factor in making Copenhagen's ambitious sustainability goals achievable.

Highlights

More than half of the world's population now lives in cities, with this number expected to rise to 70% by 2050.

Copenhagen aims to become the first carbon-neutral capital city by 2025.

Two-thirds of global carbon emissions come from cities, exacerbating the climate crisis.

Copenhagen has invested nearly $300 million in biking infrastructure, with 62% of residents biking daily.

The city has more than five times the number of bikes compared to cars, helping reduce carbon emissions.

Copenhagen's harbor, once contaminated, is now clean enough for people to swim in, thanks to major environmental efforts.

Energy use makes up 80% of Copenhagen's carbon-neutral plan, with a focus on district heating and cooling systems.

99% of households in Copenhagen are connected to an efficient district heating system.

The district cooling system uses cold water from the harbor to cool buildings, reducing electricity use by 70%.

Copenhagen Solutions Lab is solving global urban issues like air quality using technology and smart city initiatives.

A Street Lab downtown serves as a real-world testing environment for new technologies.

Sensors are used to measure air quality across the city, even mounted on Google Street View cars.

Copenhagen’s residents are actively involved in sustainability, from biking to sorting garbage.

Despite a 20% population increase since 2010, Copenhagen has reduced its emissions by 42%.

Copenhagen aims to show other cities that green growth and good economics can go hand in hand.

Transcripts

- Cities all over the world

are bursting with people.

More than half of us live in cities now,

and by 2050 that number jumps to nearly 70%.

That's a lot of people.

So how do we grow cities sustainably?

And with the climate crisis,

figuring out how we do that

is more important than ever before.

But there's one city that may be doing it better

than any other place on earth.

- We want to become the first

carbon-neutral capital city by 2025.

- So we packed up our gear

and headed here to Copenhagen, Denmark to find out how.

(upbeat music)

It's not surprising to learn

that two-thirds of the world's carbon emissions

come from cities.

That number is getting worse

as more of us move into cities,

which means a higher demand on infrastructure and resources.

So Copenhagen is on a mission to cancel out

all of their carbon emissions.

- My name is Frank Jenson,

and I'm the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen.

When I became mayor we started this process,

we decided that we want to become the first

carbon neutral capital city by 2025.

- What is carbon neutrality actually mean?

For a city, it's creating more renewable energy

than the dirty energy it uses.

It's all about achieving a net zero.

And their plan is focusing

on mobility, pollution, and energy.

- We have introduced a lot of new solutions

in Copenhagen.

Our bicycle infrastructure is world famous

because today 62% of the Copenhagener's use the bike

for daily transportation.

- Everyone in Copenhagen bikes.

And I mean everyone.

So the city is leaning into that.

In the last 10 years it has invested nearly $300 million

to improve biking infrastructure.

All that money has paid off.

There are more than five times the amount of bikes

than cars in the city.

That goes a long way when cutting down on carbon emissions.

But the effort doesn't stop there.

Copenhagen has totally transformed their waterways too.

Only a few decades ago, the harbor was contaminated

with industrial waste, oil spills, even dead fish.

- When I moved to Copenhagen back in 1987,

this harbor was so polluted,

you could never dream to have a swim in this harbor.

But today you can swim.

We have a harbor bath where people can have a swim

with their kids after school or after job.

- Though Copenhagen has made huge strides

with their mobility and pollution efforts,

by far their biggest focus is on energy use.

It makes up about 80% of their carbon neutral plan.

To cut down on their consumption,

Copenhagen uses one of the world's largest

and most successful district heating systems.

It works by using a network of pipes

to capture left over heat from electricity production,

then delivers that heat to homes across the city.

- 99% of all households in Copenhagen are linked

to our very efficient district heating system.

We have also introduced district cooling,

where we take the cold out of the water in the harbor

and distribute cold in pipes

beside the district heating pipes.

So you can reduce temperature in buildings,

in server rooms, in factories.

We can reduce electricity use for cooling down buildings

for 70%.

- To come up with these kinds of sustainable solutions,

Copenhagen collaborates with partners across the city.

Like Copenhagen Solutions Lab.

An incubator for smart city initiatives.

- What Copenhagen Solutions Lab does

is actually solving some of the bigger problems

in the world by using technologies

in order to accelerate this transition

into a carbon free economy.

So for instance, a problem of air quality,

people in cities are dying too early

because of bad air.

And that is a global problem,

not just here in Copenhagen.

Getting rid of our waste, measuring air quality,

managing traffic, we're trying to solve

these problems down in Street Lab.

- Contrary to how it sounds,

the Street Lab really isn't a laboratory.

It's a two kilometer long chunk of downtown Copenhagen

that serves as a testing area.

- Placing a lab such as this downtown,

in a real urban environment,

makes it very realistic.

Everything we're testing here

will be able to survive in other parts of the city

and will be able to be scaled to a city-wide level.

This is a new generation of technology

that makes it possible to measure air quality

by a sensor.

And now we're looking into mounting sensors

actually on a Google Street View car

to make it possible to measure each and every street

of Copenhagen.

- With these sensors, the city can better locate

the source of pollutants

to help improve overall air quality.

The technology has already proved so useful,

that Marius and his team are shipping sensors

to countries like Norway, Mexico, Austria, Greece,

and the US.

Though Copenhagen is leading the way

in sustainable smart city solutions,

experts and policy makers will tell you

that the true secret to the city's transformation

is the people.

The residents here actually want to help

build a sustainable city and are willing to work for it.

- The citizens of Copenhagen,

they demand a high quality of urban life.

They are willing to do a lot themselves.

They want to sort their own garbage,

they want to bike to work.

Citizens involvement is key to the way we think

in Denmark and in the Nordic countries.

And that's a huge driving force behind

being a carbon neutral city by 2025.

- Since I became mayor in 2010,

we have had a growth rate in the number

of citizens with 20%.

And even that, we have cut our emissions with 42%

in the same period.

So we show that you can have growth

with green transformation if you do the right investments

in the city.

- Copenhagen's transformation hasn't been easy.

And of course their size and wealth helps.

But they've made it work for their city.

Regardless if they hit their carbon neutral deadline,

their ultimate goal is to serve as an example

for cities everywhere.

- The green transformation of cities and livability

and also very important, good economy.

Goes hand in hand.

I see Copenhagen as a front runner

to show for my colleagues and decision-makers,

you must go green.

Thanks for watching. If you enjoyed our series about the Future of Cities,

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