Paris: Danish companies at COP21

3 December 2015

The negotiations on the climate agreement have begun and it is not only the environment that can benefit from this. The business community can as well. These days, hundreds of companies from different countries are gathered at the 10,000-square-foot exhibition La Galerie, which has just opened its doors to visitors until the end of the meeting next week. Technology plays a crucial role in improving the climate in a world with a growing population – in this respect Denmark has much to offer. The exhibitors at the Danish pavilion count Rockwool, Vestas, Maersk, Grundfos, Danfoss, Ramboll, Velux and the City of Copenhagen.

- Here, we have a unique opportunity to meet the people who make crucial decisions with great significance for our company. Among other things, far more mayors from the world's major cities are present here, compared to the COP15 in Copenhagen, and they play an important role says Flemming Voetmann, Head of Sustainability, Public Affairs & Leadership Communication at Danfoss, which recently announced a plan to halve its energy consumption by 2030.

The company will also halve CO₂ emissions relative to 2007 levels, and that means that Danfoss' CO₂ emissions will decrease by a total of 75 percent.

- The entire energy area and to think green is changing drastically, says Flemming Voetmann and indicates that the energy of tomorrow may possibly be produced by new players than the traditional energy companies, even ordinary households.

- We see this as an opportunity, he explains.

Smaller companies also play a role
An analysis most recently performed by the Confederation of Danish Industry indicates that export of Danish energy technology are to be doubled, if world leaders can agree on a new climate agreement in Paris to keep global temperature below 2 degrees. It is not only the big companies that will potentially benefit from an agreement. So will the many small and medium-sized enterprises.

-Realed news: Every Fifth Danish Export Crown Comes from Energy

- Danish companies can deliver within the whole energy chain. Green technology is much more than wind turbines, which everyone knows. We see many small businesses that have not originally dealt with green technology, but today develop products that can benefit the climate in one way or another, says Finn Mortensen, CEO of State of Green, responsible for the Danish exhibition at La Galerie.

Source: Confederation of Danish Industry