Green buildings

With urbanisation, demographic changes, and climate change, our cities and their buildings are facing immense challenges. Creative and innovative thinking can lead us towards a more sustainable approach to designing, creating, and using the buildings that form the basis for our everyday lives, to the benefit of both our planet and the people that populate our urban centres. Ensuring green buildings that are sustainable and energy-efficient will be key to our efforts to tackle climate change.

Cities occupy 3% of Earth’s land but account for 70% of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions

70 %

Buildings are responsible for 40% of global energy consumption and 33% of greenhouse gas emissions

40 %

In Europe alone, more than 220 million buildings – or 75% of the building stock – are energy-inefficient, with many relying on fossil fuels for heating and cooling

75 %

Related facts

Explore green buildings

Creation date: Latest first

solutions

District heating

+1

Green heating in Scotland

The United Kingdom is challenged by a heat supply that is primarily based on fossil fuels. With a climate target of net zero by 2050 they will have to increase the share of clean energy sources for their heating supply. In Scotland, the challenge is even greater, as they are aiming for net zero alre

News

Bio-based circular solutions

+2

Arup announced as the lead partner in a Nordic Consortium to create the Nordic Blue Building Alliance

Arup will act as the lead partner of a Nordic Consortium to create the Nordic Blue Building Alliance – an initiative that will promote the use of marine-based building materials to reduce embodied carbon across the Nordic construction sector.

events

Urban mobility

+10

Discover Copenhagen’s architecture and infrastructure by bicycle

Join State of Green on a journey to witness how Danish architecture, landscaping, planning and design have a great deal to offer and can contribute to paving the way towards more sustainable, livable and connected cities. With the UIA Congress themes in mind, this after-congress event will give part

Perspective

Energy efficiency

+7

5 energy-efficient solutions that can help curb EU’s energy use

Last week, the European Union agreed on a deal to cut energy consumption by 11.7% by 2030. To reach this goal, renovating buildings, optimizing infrastructure and industries to waste less energy is crucial. State of Green has gathered five examples of Danish solutions that can help save energy and accelerate Europe’s energy efficiency.

solutions

Climate change adaptation

+6

Belfast Digital Innovation Partnership

BABLE Smart Cities helped to foster a transition towards greater sustainability and innovation leadership in the City of Belfast, through the creation of a digital innovation partnership. The City of Belfast was missing a way to bring together all the important leading institutions of the region, to

News

Energy efficiency in buildings

+3

Energy efficiency in buildings is the hidden key to overcome energy poverty and reaching climate goals

High energy prices and low energy performance in buildings are pushing energy poverty. Focusing on Poland, State of Green on 8 March gathered industry partners to discuss how energy efficiency can combat energy poverty and accelerate a just, green transition.

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Meet Danish green buildings professionals

Company

Buildings

+7

Livingbetter AS

Healthy and sustainable combined ventilation and heat recovery solution

Company

District cooling

+14

IRON Pump A/S

IRON Pump is a Danish company, specialized in the manufacturing and development of energy efficiency pumps for the maritime and industrial sectors.

Company

Buildings

+12

JAJA Architects

JAJA is an award-winning Danish architecture and urban planning studio that works both practically and theoretically with projects that contribute to the creation of a better future.

Company

Circular building design

Milford

We create liveable cities where people feel happy, healthy and safe

Company

Buildings

+9

Juul Frost Architects

Juul Frost Architects is an award-winning multidisciplinary studio with a holistic approach and a human focus. The purpose of our architecture and urban development is to promote quality of life, he

Financial Institution

District energy

+8

Investment Fund for Developing Countries - IFU

IFU is the Danish Development Finance Institution providing risk capital for private sector investments in developing countries and emerging markets. Investments are made on commercial terms in the fo

Company

Living labs

+13

BABLE Smart Cities

BABLE provides business and technology services for smart city green solutions. We create automated services that simplify and offer expert advice to guide transition, development and scaling. Our onl

Company

Green financing

+6

PKA

PKA is a non-profit labor market pension fund based in Denmark. We manage the pensions of 350,000 members employed primarily in the social service and health care sectors

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Explore related focus areas

Air pollution

With urbanisation set to increase, air pollution will affect even more people in the future if no action is taken. Through strict environmental legislation and air quality monitoring, Denmark has reduced atmospheric pollution in most areas to less than one-fifth of the levels during the late 70s.

Climate change adaptation

Expanding mitigation to include adaptation in dealing with climate change, enables a holistic view that can combat previous negative social, environmental, and economic impacts and result in both climate resilient and more liveable places to live. Over the next 15-20 years, Denmark will spend more than EUR 5 billion on adapting its cities to climate changes.

District energy

Put simply, district energy is about moving energy in water, with a valuable temperature, from a place of production to the place of consumption. Denmark’s district heating system is highly energy efficient and has been one of the key drivers for reduced energy consumption and CO2 emissions from the energy sector.

Green buildings

With urbanisation, demographic changes, and climate change, our cities and their buildings are facing immense challenges. Creative and innovative thinking can lead us towards a more sustainable approach to designing, creating, and using the buildings that form the basis for our everyday lives, to the benefit of both our planet and the people that populate our urban centres. Ensuring that new buildings are sustainable and energy-efficient will be key to our efforts to tackle climate change.

Smart cities

As the pace of urbanisation quickens, cities face immense challenges related to waste management, mobility, climate adaptation and energy. However, as their political, economic, and technological power grows, cities can harness this trend to act as leaders in the green transition and drivers of the green economy. Cities need smart solutions to ensure that they are optimised for sustainable economic activity, energy consumption, and an improved environmental impact.

Urban mobility

Cities must be built for people to be sustainable, healthy, and liveable. Targeted policy-making with urban mobility in mind is a strong reinforcement of these objectives. The key is to acknowledge the importance of city space and city life as an attractive, informal, and democratic meeting place for the city residents.

Urban waste management

Urban waste management entails the entire system of collecting, sorting, treating, utilising and ultimately disposing of waste. When properly facilitated it can provide a source of energy and resources, while significantly reducing pollution.

Urban water management

Cities around the world increasingly face pressure from both growing populations and climate change, challenging urban water supply in terms of available resources and in terms of treatment of increased wastewater volumes. An integrated approach to urban water management can ensure cost efficiency and synergies. E.g., wastewater treatment can provide the city with energy and nature-based solutions can delay or store rainwater for later use.