Danish-German partnership in green spotlight: German minister visiting Denmark for green solutions

Denmark has the experience and technology to help lift the big promises made at the several green summits during the autumn. The determination to live up to these promises is clearly marked by the visit to Denmark by the minister of the Environment, Climate and the Energy Sector from the German state Baden-Württemberg. The visit will showcase concrete Danish green approaches and solutions.

With the climate summit in New York City with a large Danish imprint and the C40 summit for the mayors of the world in Copenhagen as a backdrop, Denmark is taking a lead on the green transition.

This has attracted attention in Germany, where one of the federal states, Baden-Württemberg, is challenged by phasing out nuclear power and finding new green alternatives for energy. The last nuclear reactor is scheduled to be shut down by 2022, and Baden-Württemberg has an ambition that 80 per cent of the state's energy should come from renewable sources, while energy consumption must be reduced by 50 per cent.

The state's Minister of the Environment, Climate and the Energy Sector, Franz Untersteller, is on a tour to Denmark from 28 - 30 October to get inspired by sustainable energy efficiency solutions in the green energy and water sectors. The visit is organized by State of Green, the Danish Embassy in Berlin and the Danish Energy Agency.

“One of our goals in the amendment of our Climate Protection Act is to improve the heat supply or rather heat planning in cities. On this particular topic we can learn a lot from Denmark because the Danes have used strategic heat planning in their cities for more than 40 years,” says Minister of the Environment, Climate and the Energy Sector, Franz Untersteller,

New agreement must ensure even stronger green cooperation

While dialogue on concrete climate solutions will be the focus of the visit, there will also be an opportunity to strengthen cooperation on the green transition between Denmark and Baden-Württemberg. During the visit, Minister Franz Untersteller and the Danish Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities Dan Jørgensen will sign a new green partnership agreement. The agreement focuses on exchange of experience at the government level focusing on energy efficiency in both buildings and industry, as well as improving the efficiency of the heat supply.

“The Danish government has set a number of climate targets, and the government has a desire to be a global green frontrunner. Baden-Württemberg is a German Bundesland with almost twice as many inhabitants as Denmark and they have a strong focus on green transition of their energy sector. Denmark and Baden-Württemberg share the ambition of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 in line with the Paris Agreement. It therefore makes good sense to strengthen our partnership,” says the Deputy Director of the Danish Energy Agency Martin Hansen.

Denmark and Baden-Württemberg share experiences and can inspire each other

The German state’s climate goal is to reduce CO₂-emissions by 90 percent by 2050. Furthermore, Baden-Württemberg is taking the lead on implementing mandatory heat planning for the largest cities in the state.

In 2017, Denmark and Baden-Württemberg signed an agreement focusing on sharing knowledge and experience in the energy field, which has resulted in close cooperation where both parties want to inspire each other to think in green solutions. The collaboration focuses, among other things, on heat planning, energy efficiency of buildings, low-temperature district heating and integration of renewable energy sources.

A closer bilateral dialogue is being conducted on heat planning in connection with district heating projects in the state. Conversely, Denmark can find inspiration in Baden-Württemberg's experiences with serial renovation and surplus heat.

“The close collaboration between the two countries so far is a success because we can help each other. In the field of renewable energies, we see each other as strategic partners. To combat climate change we address global challenges and face them with innovative technologies and solutions. This is the only way for us to ensure that we are leaving a planet worth living on to the following generations,” says Franz Untersteller 

Denmark is more than a strong wind industry

Denmark is often referred to as a frontrunner in the wind industry, when it comes to renewable and green energy. However, Denmark has more to offer in areas such as energy efficiency, district heating and water technologies.

In the list of solutions that the German delegation will visit are the new combustion plant Amager Bakke (CopenHill) in Copenhagen and Marselisborg waterworks in Aarhus.

“Our collaboration with Baden-Württemberg has given us opportunities to share knowledge about green solutions in district heating and energy efficiency. We are getting smarter together, and the Danish Energy Agency is pleased that the agreement provides an opportunity to strengthen the development of green energy solutions across borders,” says Martin Hansen.

Background

• Baden-Württemberg has set ambitious climate targets for 2050 known as the 50-80-90 targets. The state aims to increase energy efficiency by 50 per cent in relation to the 2010 level; 80 per cent of the state's energy must come from renewable energy; and greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 90 per cent in relation to the level in 1990.
• One of the efforts under the Danish Energy Agreement, launched in June 2018, was to extend and expand the Energy Governance Partnership, which aims to promote Danish energy solutions and experiences through government cooperation with the five countries: Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Netherlands and South Korea.

Contact

Advisor Jacob Dahlmann Thorsell, 41 15 14 54, jdt@ens.dk

Advisor Patrizia Renoth, 33 95 42 75, pyr@ens.dk