Lise Thorsen

City of Copenhagen

Lise Thorsen is a leader in developing the sustainable and progressive solutions that have placed Copenhagen at the top of many rankings of global green cities. Ms. Thorsen will speak to specific initiatives that are positioning Copenhagen to become the world's first carbon neutral city. 

A former journalist, Ms. Thorsen is a member of the Copenhagen City Council and speaks to environmental issues on the City's Technical and Environmental Committee. She is also sits on Copenhagen's Health and Care Committee, and is the Lord Mayor's representative to Eurocities. 

Copenhagen's challenges mirror the world's. It is set to experience tremendous population growth in coming decades, and has set itself the target of achieving significant economic growth without sacrificing the environment. Copenhagen has set a target to be the world's first completely carbon-neutral city by 2025. This will be achieved by reducing energy consumption through smart grids, retrofitting and sustainable construction methods. Other measures include plans to de-carbonise the energy production by increasing the share of wind power, biomass, waste, geothermal power and solar energy. To increase the use of bikes, e-mobility and intelligent traffic systems. Furthermore, our plan for adaptation to climate changes includes pilot projects and models for financing. In the further development of the smartest and most climate-friendly solutions, Copenhagen is inviting cities, knowledge institutions and enterprises to collaborate on an international scale. The city's belief is that solutions should not only be applicable in Copenhagen, but to cities all over the world.