Citizens driven green transition

ended

Denmark set ambitious climate targets of reducing emissions by 70% by 2030 and becoming climate neutral by 2050. Climate auditing expands the range of greenhouse gas emissions measuring a municipality's climate impact and supports decision making for municipal climate plans for 2030 and 2050. Municipalities can set the tone for a new narrative with skills, new jobs and innovation at its core to bring the green transition closer to citizens and generate opportunities for local investments and growth. This is the experience from the pioneer Sams' municipality from Central Denmark Region. Sams' became a brand name for its community-driven carbon neutrality in 2007 and has been the first to use a state-of-the art climate auditing tool to develop a plan for climate neutrality by 2050. Aiming to be a climate action pioneer, Central Denmark Region as regional coordinator has invited its 19 municipalities to use this new ambitious tool. The project builds on the unique expertise of Sams' to strengthen the municipal administrations' capacity to deliver the national climate ambition on the ground. The Sams' Energy Academy delivers guidance in using the climate auditing tool and in translating climate ambition into implementation in practice. The project builds technical competences and social skills in the municipal administrations to translate the national climate policy into a local narrative for climate action that speaks to communities, stakeholders and citizens. This way the municipal plans for climate neutrality by 2050 will be inclusive and realistic for practical implementation. It also shares the good practices of social innovation, innovative engagement processes and local ownership models from Sams' beyond Central Denmark Region, with public authorities and stakeholders in Denmark and at EU level. The project aspires to guide more public administrations in adopting inclusive climate planning processes that enable a citizen driven transition to climate neutrality.