Every year, we compile all CO2 and energy reductions in our carbon footprint report, which provides an overview of the status of our focus areas. By the end of 2022, the area’s citizens, businesses and institutions had collectively reduced emissions from 2007, when ProjectZero was born, by 57 percent.
300000 tons
57
In some areas, we exceeded expectations for 2022. Especially when it comes to replacing oil and gas boilers with a greener alternative such as district heating or heat pumps. In 2022, no fewer than 847 households scrapped their gas boilers, while 108 replaced their oil boilers. The goal is to have no oil and gas boilers left by the end of 2029.
On the other hand, emissions from passenger cars have not decreased as expected, but instead increased by two percent. This is partly because people are not working from home as much as during the COVID lockdowns and are therefore driving more. But this is also because the people of Southern Denmark are not so quick to switch to electric cars. In the Sønderborg area, electric cars made up only 3 percent of the car fleet, while the national average was 4 percent. In addition, it seems that car owners don’t always scrap their petrol and diesel cars when buying an electric car.
While it still requires a lot of effort to reach zero by 2029, the households, institutions and businesses in the Sønderborg area will not be responsible for the entire remaining reduction of approximately 300,000 tons. At the same time, the area’s heating and utility companies are working on a transformation of the energy system that will help reduce energy consumption and eliminate CO2 emissions.
The district heating must be completely CO2-neutral, and the goal is for up to 40 percent of the district heating to come from surplus heat from the area’s businesses.
At the same time, the Sønderborg area will produce more green energy in the form of biogas, wind, solar and sustainable fuels from a new Power-to-X plant.
In the carbon footprint report for 2022, you can see the positive effect of the biogas plant in Glansager, and this year the Kværs plant is connected to the gas grid. The upcoming areas of solar and wind farms are also important.
Milestones towards zero
2007
700,000 tons of C02
2015
501,000 tons
2022
300,000 tons
