Lejre Kommune has set itself a significant goal: to become CO2-neutral as early as 2045 -- five years ahead of the national target. With the climate plan 'Vores Sted -- Vores Klima' (Our Place -- Our Climate), the municipality commits to reducing emissions by 70% by 2030 and 80% by 2035, measured against 1990 levels (p. 7). The ambition stems from the municipality's distinctive character as a rural municipality with 49 small towns and villages, where the good life in the countryside must be combined with an ambitious climate effort. Today, Lejre Kommune emits 171,900 tonnes of CO2 annually, corresponding to approximately 6 tonnes per capita (p. 11). Emissions are distributed very unevenly across sectors: transport accounts for 46%, agriculture for 26%, energy for 26%, and waste for just 2% (p. 11). It is particularly the transport emissions that distinguish Lejre from other municipalities -- a full two-thirds originate from transit traffic, where residents from other municipalities drive through the area (p. 20). At the same time, Lejre residents commute an average of 29.4 km each way to work, which is significantly longer than the national average of 22.2 km (p. 20). Lejre's geographic distinctiveness creates both challenges and opportunities for climate action. The 400 hectares of carbon-rich lowland soils account for only 21% of agricultural emissions despite their modest area (p. 24). The municipality's 14% forest coverage and the many river valleys simultaneously offer unique opportunities for nature-based climate solutions. The dispersed settlement structure with 49 villages makes it difficult to establish district heating in most locations, requiring creative solutions such as thermal networks -- shared ground-source heat systems, which residents in Gevninge, Kirke Hyllinge and Kirke Saaby are now developing through Lejre Lokalvarme A.m.b.a. (p. 9). The most comprehensive measures focus on land-use changes and afforestation. Through the KLIMA+ partnership with Klimaskovfonden, 960 hectares of new forest are to be established by 2045, with 160 hectares already by 2030 (p. 25). At the same time, 200 hectares of lowland soils will be retired and 300 hectares of agricultural land converted to nature by 2030 (p. 25). In the transport sector, the municipality is pursuing a cycling strategy focused on safe school routes and a target of 35% of passenger car traffic using electric vehicles by 2030 (p. 21). The municipality has already reached its goal of 50% of the municipal fleet running on alternative fuels (p. 10). However, the plan openly acknowledges that all actions combined will only achieve a 66.1% CO2 reduction by 2030 -- 3.9 percentage points short of the target (p. 12). The transport and agriculture sectors in particular will still have significant emissions in 2045, requiring the development of new technologies and actions in future plans. The residual emission of 13.8% in 2045 underscores that the path to CO2 neutrality still has unresolved challenges (p. 12). Citizen engagement builds on the municipality's motto that Lejre does not have one climate group, but 29,000 climate citizens (p. 3). The 'Climate Villages' initiative will send a travelling team out to inspire and organise local climate projects in individual villages -- from communal dining to growing cooperatives and energy renovation (p. 41). The Green Living Lab in Hvalsoe becomes an experimental space for sustainable living, while the annual Climate Week continues to bring citizens, associations and businesses together around constructive climate solutions (p. 41). The business community is engaged through guidance on sustainability strategies and funding schemes such as SMV:Groen, which helps companies with green transition and resource efficiency (p. 43).

Source: Lejre Kommunes Klimaplan 2025 - Vores Sted – Vores Klima (2025)