Fredensborg Kommune has set the ambitious goal of becoming climate neutral as early as 2040 - ten years earlier than many other Danish municipalities. With its location on Øresund and its 7.6-kilometre coastline, the municipality faces unique climate challenges where sea level rise and storm surges threaten both citizens and cultural heritage institutions such as Louisiana and Nivaagaards Malerisamling. At the same time, the municipality's former fjord landscape at Nivå and Langstrup Mose, which is North Zealand's largest carbon-rich lowland area, hold enormous potential for CO2 uptake and nature restoration. Today, Fredensborg Kommune emits 151,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, corresponding to 3.7 tonnes per inhabitant - significantly below the national average of 8.1 tonnes (p. 8). Transport is the biggest challenge at 40 percent of emissions (p. 8), reflecting that many citizens commute to work or education outside the municipality. Heating follows at 23 percent, where around 40 percent of households are still dependent on natural gas. Electricity accounts for 26 percent, while agriculture makes up only 7 percent of emissions, as the municipality has limited intensive agricultural production. What is distinctive about Fredensborg Kommune's climate challenge is the combination of a well-educated population with high consumption patterns and a vulnerable coastal location. The indirect emissions from citizens' consumption of goods and services are estimated at a full 486,000 tonnes of CO2 annually (p. 9) - more than three times the direct emissions. At the same time, climate change threatens the municipality's cultural heritage and nature, from storm surges along the coast to drying out of wet natural areas that are home to rare species. The municipality's most ambitious initiative is the Nivå Engfjord project, which is to transform up to 1,000 hectares around the former Stone Age fjord into a connected natural area. The project combines CO2 uptake through retirement of lowland soils and afforestation with climate adaptation by allowing the areas to function as natural water reservoirs during cloudbursts (pp. 48-50). At the same time, the municipality aims to become the first in Denmark with circular urban development in Nivå town centre, where materials such as brick and clay soil from demolition are creatively reused in the new urban space. As the third major initiative, district heating coverage is to be doubled so that 64 percent of the municipality's heating needs are covered by fossil-free district heating instead of the current 30 percent. The biggest challenge is the transport sector, where the municipality still expects to emit 25,300 tonnes of CO2 in 2040 (p. 83). Here, the municipality is dependent on national decisions about infrastructure and vehicle technology, although local measures such as rapid charging parks, super cycle paths and fossil-free bus routes can contribute. Also in the consumption area, the municipality acknowledges that indirect emissions require both national frameworks and changed citizen habits, which the municipality can only partially influence. Citizen engagement builds on the successful climate conference in August 2021, where local proposals were collected, and the 26-member Climate Council that advises the city council (p. 15). The municipality aims to expand its facilitator role by supporting citizen-driven climate initiatives and establishing a network of green ambassadors across the organisation. With offerings such as free energy audits for 1,500 detached house owners and e-bike lending to citizens, the municipality seeks to bridge the gap between climate targets and everyday life in the local community.

Source: Fredensborg Kommunes klimaplan - Sammen om klimaindsatsen (2022)