One of the strong foundations of Danish economy comes from decoupling growth and energy consumption, Lone Dencker Wisborg, state secretary of the Nordic country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a round table at the Belgrade University’s Faculty of Architecture. The event named ‘Energy & Water – Resources Efficiency in Public Administration and Companies’ was organized by the Embassy of Denmark during the exhibition ‘Copenhagen Solutions’ which lasted from November 23 until December 10.
„With a systematic focus on energy efficiency and a combination of incentive measures, it is possible to spur energy saving investments – this has been Denmark’s experience. The Danish energy programmes were developed in close collaboration with the industry and have contributed to a decrease in energy intensity within the industry by 24.5% from 1990 to 2012,“ Dencker Wisborg stated. She added the private sector needs to be engaged and that public finance should be used to catalyse private investment in renewables as well as energy and water efficient infrastructure.
Jakob Matzen, senior urban planner in the City of Copenhagen, presented experiences and solutions from the Danish capital. He underscored sustainability is one of the main priorities, and that the water in the old harbour is now so clean that people can swim in it. Matzen spoke of the need to accommodate about one thousand new inhabitants every month in a suitable way, by finding the balance between the need for new housing, business space, culture and recreational activities.
Kopenhagen is one of the best cities in the world by the quality of life – authorities are trying to improve and develop public transport and increase the number of inhabitants who use bicycle in everyday activities even above the current 50%, he said. Furthermore, the city is closing streets for passenger cars to make room for cycling and walking, and multi-level bicycle tracks are constructed throughout the capital. According to Matzen, one of the most ambitious and most expensive plans is to reshape the storm rain drainage system to mitigate the effects of climate change and prevent damage.
Dušan Ignjatović, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Architecture, presented a research project on building types and energy consumption properties in Serbia.
