Gentofte Municipality has set one of Denmark's most ambitious climate targets with a 90% reduction of CO2 emissions as early as 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest. As one of the country's most densely populated municipalities with 74,550 inhabitants in a relatively small geographic area, Gentofte has both particular challenges and unique opportunities in the green transition. The municipality's compact urban landscape and short distances create good conditions for both district heating and cycling, while the high population density enables efficient climate solutions. In 2019, Gentofte Municipality emitted 259,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalents (p. 11), corresponding to 3.4 tonnes per capita - significantly below the national average of 8.8 tonnes (p. 12). The low emissions are primarily due to the municipality having no agriculture and only very few large production companies. Emissions mainly come from heating at 38.1%, electricity at 29.7% and transport at 26% (p. 12). The notable aspect of Gentofte's emission profile is the already high district heating coverage of 70%, which provides a solid foundation for further green transition. What distinguishes Gentofte's climate challenge is the massive amount of through-traffic on Helsingørmotorvejen, where 6 kilometres cut through the municipality, creating traffic noise that affects many residents' well-being and health (p. 18). Additionally, 43% of homes cannot charge electric cars on their own property, significantly above the national average of 32% (p. 19). The municipality also faces the challenge that 55% of all heated floor area is in buildings erected before 1939 (p. 16), creating substantial potential for energy renovations but also complex architectural preservation considerations. The most comprehensive planned measures focus on district heating expansion with an investment of DKK 1.1 billion by 2027, so that 90% of all properties are connected (p. 9). At the same time, the municipality is making a major commitment to CO2 capture at Vestforbrænding, which is to handle 50% of waste incineration capacity by 2030 (p. 35). In transport, the target is that 40% of private cars should be electric by 2030, supported by comprehensive expansion of charging infrastructure (p. 35). These measures have been chosen because they address the largest emission sources and leverage the municipality's particular strengths. Despite the ambitious targets, the plan honestly acknowledges that there is expected to still be a greenhouse gas emission from the transport sector of 11,000 tonnes CO2 in 2050 (p. 14). This is because parts of heavy goods and passenger transport will continue to use diesel. Furthermore, nearly half of the CO2 reductions depend on national framework conditions that the municipality does not control itself (p. 14). The biggest challenge is getting all building owners to connect to district heating and implement energy savings. Gentofte Municipality is planning comprehensive citizen engagement through a Climate Citizens' Assembly and sustainability networks (p. 46), as well as concrete climate collaborations with homeowner and housing associations (p. 45). The municipality has already established climate partnerships with major local actors such as IKEA, Gentofte Hospital and Ørsted (p. 8), and will expand this approach to include more businesses. Through projects such as "Haver til Maver" and climate focus in all schools and childcare facilities, a green thread is woven from nursery to adulthood, so future citizens grow up with climate responsibility as a natural part of everyday life.

Source: Klimaplan 2050 – hele Gentofes vej til klimaneutralitet og klimarobusthed (2022)