ABOUT GATE 21

10 years for green conversion

The Danish Parliament is behind a goal to reduce Danish greenhouse gas emissions by 70 per cent by 2030. This is equal parts ambitious and necessary, as we are heading for a global temperature increase of 3.2 degrees if we only keep to the obligations of the Paris Agreement. That’s according to the UNEP writes in its latest report, released in November. We are, because the world’s leaders have spent ten years negotiating. Ten years in which we should have acted.

Denmark has also lacked concrete, ambitious national action to reduce our CO2 emissions. The municipalities and the joint regional initiatives have held hands during the green transition, together with front-running research institutions, companies and utilities providers.

A common platform for green solutions

This has been evident in Gate 21, which, over the past ten years, has built a strong triple-helix organization and has become the common platform of municipalities, regions, companies and knowledge institutions for green solutions, green innovation and green growth in Greater Copenhagen.

Today Gate 21 is a partnership network that can deliver on the goal of being a green leader in energy conversion, green mobility, the circular economy and green digital solutions. We test green solutions, based on public demand, which can be scaled and spread across the whole country – for inspiration to the rest of the world.

1000 days of action

The next thousand days will be crucial if we are to achieve the transition goals, both nationally and internationally, and keep global temperature rise below two degrees. That is why, on the occasion of our 10th anniversary, we have come up with a concrete picture of what the partnership network will look like for the next thousand days.

And it’s a picture that shows how we want to act, because intentions to curb global warming are not sufficient. We lack concrete plans with concrete ACTIONS. We need actions to transform our energy system into renewable energy and transport options that are free from fossil fuels, actions that push the circular economy into businesses and municipalities, and actions that show how new digital solutions can ensure a better and greener operation of our cities and rural communities – that will, together, lift us to the goal of a 70 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

This is community innovation in practice. It is a partnership for green transition and action.