Sustainable planning and thinking green has been in the Danish DNA for many years. Copenhagen is one of the most ambitious cities in the world when it comes to setting sustainability goals - and reaching them. One of Copenhagen's ambitious goals is to become the world's first CO2-neutral capital by 2025. This agenda, and the initiatives that will help us achieve our goal, has been rewarded by the European commission as Copenhagen was named European green capital for 2014.
Copenhagen wants to be the platform where the best green solutions are shared in 2014. Sharing profitable solutions that are good for the environment, our citizens and the economy are all things that can be accomplished by going green. We have put a lot of effort into developing our city in a green and sustainable way by improving bicycle infrastructure, cleaning our harbour and investing in green energy. One of the areas in which we strive to go green is by encouraging green transportation - 36 per cent of Copenhagen's population already cycle to work or educational institutions - but we aim higher.
"Our plan to become C02-neutral is very ambitious and requires continued long-term efforts"
We are constructing 28 new cycle super highways and have 435 kilometres of bicycle lanes for commuters that connect the city with the suburbs. Green cycling routes, improved design of intersections and new, wider bicycle lanes means that half of Copenhagen's community will ride their bikes, to and from work in the future. These actions diminish traffic congestion in the city and we hope our efforts will be rewarded in the long run by healthier citizens and a drop in public health costs.
The idea of swimming in the city harbour would have been out of the question 15 years ago. Like many European cities the harbour water in Copenhagen was heavily polluted. Investing in a modernised sewage system, diverting local rainwater and the desire to create a strong urban design for recreational spaces has made the harbour a popular gathering point for swimmers, locals and tourists. The investments made in the harbour have increased the value of real estate, tourism and the quality of life for our citizens. This also benefits the local businesses and the environment in and around the harbour.
Our plan to become CO2-neutral is very ambitious and requires continued long-term efforts, but we are already well on our way, with a decrease in CO2 emissions by more than 40 per cent since 1995. Wind turbines are installed in Copenhagen, and we are investing in solar energy. Power stations are being converted from fossil fuels to biomass. We are investing in hybrid buses for public transportation to reduce CO2 emissions. Buildings in Copenhagen are energy-renovated, and new buildings are energy efficient, which results in lower energy bills for our citizens in the years to come.
Our ambition is to make Copenhagen an international centre for 'cleantech' companies. Already, there are about 500 companies and about 30,000 people working in the cleantech sector in the Danish capital region. The OECD identifies Copenhagen as a global leader when it comes to creating growth and jobs in the clean tech sector, and the growth in the green sector is substantially higher than in other sectors in Copenhagen and Denmark. A big part of the reason for the cleantech sector's success in Copenhagen is the political focus and the accompanying investments. With a carbon neutral Copenhagen on the horizon, Danish cleantech companies have a unified platform to demonstrate green, Danish technologies.
Throughout the year, we are sharing ideas, solutions and know-how to make cities around the world even greener, but also to learn from other green cities and their sustainable urban projects. In collaboration with citizens and more than 75 partner organisations and businesses, the city of Copenhagen has planned more than 200 activities throughout 2014 for both Copenhageners, and professionals. Being a sustainable city means being a liveable city with a high quality of life. The fact that Copenhagen has been ranked as the world's most liveable city twice sets the bar for other cities to follow in the footsteps of Copenhagen. But it also makes us strive to do even better and improve the environment and our citizens' way of life.