Copenhagen has adopted a new climate strategy targeting a climate‑positive city by 2035, meaning it will remove more CO₂ than it emits. The plan, approved by the City Council (Borgerrepræsentationen) on 18 September, also aims to halve the city’s global climate footprint and reduce emissions from municipal procurement by 50%.
What climate‑positive means for Copenhagen
Under the new strategy, climate‑positive refers to the geographic balance of emissions within the municipal boundary: by 2035 the capital must capture more CO₂e than it emits. The city frames this alongside a gradual reduction in biomass use in district heating and continued improvements in local energy, transport and waste systems.
Halving the global climate footprint
Beyond territorial emissions, Copenhagen will halve its global (consumption‑based) climate footprint by 2035. This includes emissions embedded in food, goods, travel and services used by residents and businesses.
The city also commits to cutting emissions from municipal purchasing by 50 percent, and to expanding its climate “handprint” via investments and partnerships that generate renewable energy and carbon uptake outside the city limits.
From missed neutrality in 2025 to negative emissions
The new strategy replaces the CPH 2025 Climate Plan, under which Copenhagen sought climate neutrality by 2025. That goal was not achieved, amid shifting energy conditions and the absence of large‑scale carbon capture on the city’s waste‑to‑energy plant.
The 2035 framework builds on the progress made and sets a negative‑emissions horizon that integrates both territorial and consumption‑based metrics.
Buildings, energy and mobility: where the city will act
Priority areas include the energy system, energy use in buildings, construction and infrastructure, mobility, food, consumer products, travel and leisure, and public procurement.
The strategy emphasises retrofitting and extending the life of existing buildings over new builds, wider deployment of solar and wind, and a shift towards zero‑emission mobility.
Implementation and governance
The climate‑positive pathway will be delivered through three action plans (2026–2028, 2029–2031, 2032–2035) with annual follow‑up.
“It is an ambitious goal and one that will attract attention both at home and abroad,” said the Lord Mayor (Overborgmester) Lars Weiss (S).
The Technical and Environment Mayor (Teknik‑ og Miljøborgmester) will coordinate sectoral measures with utilities, businesses and civil society to keep the city on track.
Why it matters for the Nordics and the EU
Copenhagen’s climate‑positive target aligns city action with EU climate goals and pushes the debate beyond net‑zero towards absolute removals and consumption‑based accounting. For Nordic peers, the plan offers a template that connects urban energy systems with global supply chains while maintaining a focus on livability, public services and green jobs.
