Middelfart Kommune has set itself the ambitious goal of becoming Denmark's leading climate municipality and being among the most proactive municipalities in working towards net-zero emissions by 2050 at the latest. Since the municipal merger, the municipality has been a frontrunner in the green transition, but honestly acknowledges that the current effort is no longer sufficient. As a DK2020 municipality, Middelfart now commits to showing the way towards fulfilment of the Paris Agreement's maximum 2-degree global warming target. In 2017, the municipality as a geographic area emitted 311,800 tonnes of greenhouse gases, corresponding to 8.18 tonnes per citizen (p. 12). This is already a significant reduction of approximately 40 percent since 1990, but the transport sector still dominates with 42 percent of emissions, followed by the energy sector at 31 percent and nature and agriculture at 24 percent. The high transport share is partly due to heavy traffic on the motorway through the municipality. Middelfart Kommune's particular challenge differs from many other Danish municipalities through the combination of a significant industrial base, 600 farms of which 150 operate with commercial livestock, and the location by Lillebaelt with both opportunities and risks from sea level rise (p. 38). At the same time, the municipality has built unique strengths through the TVIS district heating collaboration and the annual Climate People's Meeting, which in 2020 gained national status. The most impactful planned measures focus on phase-out of fossil fuels, where the municipality will eliminate 3,119 oil boilers and 4,665 natural gas boilers with an expected reduction of 30,000 tonnes of CO2 by 2030 at the latest (p. 21-22). In addition, an ambitious PtX project through the TVIS collaboration can alone reduce emissions by 600,000 tonnes of CO2, of which Middelfart receives a share of 24,000 tonnes. In the nature sector, at least 100 hectares of afforestation and retirement of 100 hectares of lowland soils are planned, which together can contribute 5,300 tonnes of CO2 reduction. However, the plan honestly acknowledges a significant shortfall of 155,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2050, primarily from agriculture and the transport sector (p. 52). With current measures, the municipality only achieves a 70 percent reduction compared to 1990 levels, not the necessary 100 percent for net-zero. The challenge of heavy motorway traffic and the limited national framework for agricultural regulation requires solutions that the municipality cannot implement alone. Citizen engagement builds on Middelfart's strong tradition with the annual Climate People's Meeting and 12 local committees, but is now being significantly expanded. All associations receiving municipal subsidies must in future demonstrate climate measures in their activities, and new collaborations are being established for carpooling, energy renovation and green food schemes. The municipality also acknowledges that many of the most important climate gains are created by citizens and businesses without municipal involvement -- these still count in the geographic carbon accounts. Looking ahead, Middelfart is aiming to become a test municipality for intelligent energy systems and circular economy, while the climate adaptation plan is updated in 2021 with new data on sea level rise and extreme weather. With four new full-time positions invested in climate work and systematic embedding of climate and sustainability in all political decisions, the municipality seeks to prove that ambitious climate policy and economic development can go hand in hand.

Source: DK2020 Klimaplan Middelfart Kommune (2020)