Meet our host: Guldborgsund
For our next Transnational Learning Journey we will be hosted by Guldborgsund Municipality (DK). Right before we kick off this final exchange of experience, let's meet our host!
The Municipality
Guldborgsund Municipality is a municipality in Region Zealand. Guldborgsund Municipality is an amalgamation of six smaller and former municipalities around Guldborg Sund. The market town of Nykøbing Falster is located in the middle of Guldborgsund Municipality and is in every way the centre of the municipality. It is the educational centre for the whole of Lolland-Falster and South Zealand and you'll find a wide range of educational opportunities here. The programmes are centred in educational environments that provide good opportunities for collaboration and synergies and for a cohesive, inspiring study environment. Guldborgsund Municipality has a total area of 90,697 hectares and the population as of 1 January 2025 is 59,343 people.
Climate action plan
Guldborgsund Municipality's goal is to be climate neutral by 2050. With the climate action plan, the municipality has committed to:
- To achieve an 80% reduction in the municipality's geographical CO2 emissions by 2030 compared to 1990.
- To become a CO2 neutral municipality by 2050.
- To become climate resilient to climate change by 2050.
The climate plan focuses on Guldborgsund Municipality's geographical CO2 emissions. Guldborgsund Municipality has CO2 emissions of approximately 550,000 tonnes annually, with agriculture accounting for 41%, transport 32% and energy 25%. CO2 emissions from the consumption of resources and products produced outside the municipality's borders are not included in the municipality's carbon footprint.
To reach its goals, Guldborgsund must, among other things:
- increase the share of renewable energy production
- reduce emissions from district heating
- Phasing out oil-fired boilers and energy renovation of buildings
- Increase the share of electric cars
- Set up biogas plants for the commercialisation of manure production
- Decarbonisation of low carbon soils
- Afforestation
- Change of cattle feed and inclusion of environmental technology in stables
As the targets are based on the municipality as a geography, it requires an effort from everyone who lives or has a business in the municipality to reach the target. The plan has been developed with strong contributions from the three main sectors and the citizens of the municipality. The climate action plan was approved by the city council on 22 June 2023.
Experience with inert waste
The municipality has started to change its method of building new construction to include reused and recycled materials and thus also inert waste. The first projects of this type are now in the design phase, and it has been agreed with the associated consultants to prepare a project manual that describes the entire process and all the issues that may arise in such a project and any missing or conflicting legislation.
At the same time, Co2 footprint calculations are carried out for both the building made of recycled and recyclable materials and a similar building made of ‘normal’ materials. The first two buildings to be constructed according to this principle are two new fire stations that will be completed by the end of 2025.