March 2012 was a big month for the Danish city of Sonderborg, as it was accepted to join the C40 Climate Positive Development Program, developed in partnership with the Clinton Climate Initiative.

The organization has recently completed its evaluation of Sonderborg´s new Climate Roadmap2020 and the Plan was approved, advancing the project to “participant” status in the Climate Positive program, where it will serve as model among global C40 cities for its climate efforts. Sonderborg has achieved this golden standard together with 4 other climate projects in Ohio, London, Melbourne and Sydney.

This means that the Climate Roadmap2020 of Sonderborg will be communicated to 63 of the world´s largest cities to be inspired by the initiatives. The urban areas must grow sustainably. This will significantly increase the interest from other countries in the way Sonderborg implements its ZEROcarbon Roadmap in the coming years.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of ProjectZero, Peter Mads Clausen, is excited about the growing international recognition of the Sonderborg Roadmap for climate initiatives towards 2020:

- The C40 Climate Positive Development Program’s recognition positions the Sonderborg project as a golden standard for the world´s largest cities, and this level is only achieved with the help of many committed businesses, organizations and individuals that got involved and contributed to a robust Roadmap2020, which is our local roadmap. I am therefore also pleased that the City Council in Sonderborg recently has approved the Roadmap for climate change policies and will incorporate them into the municipal plans, says Peter Mads Clausen.  

The Director of the C40 Climate Positive Development Program, Zachary Tofias, is pleased that C40 Expert Committee has approved ProjectZero´s Roadmap2020 meeting the standards of a Climate Positive Participant:

- ProjectZero embodies an aggressive set of strategies and tactics to achieve a net carbon negative community that will serve as an inspiration to other cities around the world. I am pleased that C40´s expert review committee has approved ProjectZero´s Climate Positive Roadmap, and look forward to supporting the project´s developers as they put ideas into action through collaborative engagement not only with their local community and government, but also with the global participants in the Climate Positive Development Program, says Zachary Tofias.  

Participating Danish businesses can utilize the international approval as a strong platform to demonstrate and develop the best possible climate and energy solutions for the largest cities on the planet, says Peter Rathje, CEO of ProjectZero.

ProjectZero was established in 2007 by the Municipality of Sonderborg, the SE Company, the Bitten & Mads Clausens Fund (Danfoss), the Nordea Fund and the Dong Energy Company. In 2014 Sonderborg Forsyning (Utility Company) will join the partnership.