ProjectZero is a public-private partnership between Sønderborg Municipality and the Bitten & Mads Clausen Foundation. Since 2007, the ProjectZero initiative has been driving the transformation of the Sønderborg area’s energy system towards carbon neutrality by 2029 – aiming to make the local green transition a catalyst for strengthening the region’s leadership in sustainability, supporting business development, and attracting new companies.
From the very beginning, ProjectZero has been built on strong local engagement and collaboration. Behind every energy saving we achieve, there are people making it happen. That includes the residents who have replaced their gas boilers with greener alternatives, the business owners who have found ways to reuse excess heat, and the employees from local utility companies working across sectors to create the greenest solutions for the future.
It also includes more than 75 individuals who, throughout the year, contribute their expertise and ideas in the Masterplan working groups.
Each working group focuses on a specific area – such as personal transport. In that group, for instance, car dealers, FDM (the Danish Motorists’ Association), municipal specialists, and representatives from the EV association work together to identify initiatives that can make it easier to own and drive an electric vehicle in the Sønderborg area. Each group operates with a clear, targeted goal that contributes to the overall transport objective.
At the ProjectZero Secretariat, a small team monitors the progress of the working groups. Each year, we collect all CO₂ and energy reductions in our Climate Accounts, which provide an overview of progress across all focus areas. Based on the results, targets for each area are evaluated and adjusted accordingly.
Meet our team
ProjectZero Foundation
ProjectZero is legally anchored in the ProjectZero Foundation, which was established in 2008 with initial contributions from SE, the Bitten & Mads Clausen Foundation, DONG Energy, and the Nordea Foundation.
The Foundation’s Board of Directors is appointed for a four-year term and is constituted as of March 21, 2022, as follows:
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Lars Tveen (Chair), appointed by the Bitten & Mads Clausen Foundation
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Erik Lauritzen (Vice Chair), appointed by the Sønderborg City Council
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Henrik Bindslev, appointed by the University of Southern Denmark (SDU)
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Per Egebæk Have, appointed by the Bitten & Mads Clausen Foundation
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Tage Petersen, appointed by the Sønderborg City Council
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Bente Holm Skylvad, appointed by the Foundation’s Board
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Ellen Trane Nørby, appointed by Sønderborg Forsyning and the Foundation’s Board
The Board of Directors
Project Zero A/S constitutes the operational part of the ProjectZero structure, focused on translating strategies into action plans and their subsequent execution. Project Zero A/S has its own board, appointed annually by the ProjectZero Foundation. The Board of Project Zero A/S is constituted as of March 21, 2022, as follows:
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Hans Lehmann, Chairman
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Asger Romme (Vice Chairman), Chairman of Natur-, Klima & Miljøudvalget, Sønderborg Municipality
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Morten Vestergaard, Deputy Director, Broager Sparekasse
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Christian Udby, Director, Sønderborg Forsyning
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Torben Christensen, Chief Sustainability Officer & Head of Global Services, Danfoss
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Søren Skov Bording, Director, Center Denmark