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But the climate changes responsible for the current situ-
ation are nothing compared to the human and economic
costs to come, even if we fulfil the goal of a maximum glob-
al temperature rise of two degrees Celsius.
Nevertheless, it has been extraordinarily difficult to reach
international agreements with binding targets for the re-
duction of greenhouse gases, just as very little is happening
at the national level in Denmark.
Every year in May with funding from the VELUX FOUN-
DATION, CONCITO publishes an analytical situation
report for Denmark, of the preceding year’s political initia-
tives aimed at responding to the warning lights which could
not be blinking any more brightly, rapidly, and alarmingly
than they are at present. The analysis is called the Annual
Climate Outlook, and was first published in 2010. In 2011
it was published in both Danish and English.
The conclusion of the 2011 report is crystal clear: there is
much talk and drafting of visions and plans of action, but
absolutely nothing is actually happening. The government
and the opposition have both presented proposals for strat-
egies, but nothing has been ratified. It is difficult to point
to a year with less activity on Denmark’s part, even though
the scientific community is becoming increasingly certain
and increasingly sharp in its warnings and statements.
To be fair, Danish greenhouse gas emissions are falling, but
not nearly to the extent necessary in order for Denmark to
meet its obligations for 2020 and 2050. And with regard
to Danish consumption and its climate impacts, things are
moving in the wrong direction: an adverse trend which re-
flects the fact that the bulk of the world’s heavy industry
has been relocated to developing economies – even though
the West still has the largest consumption per capita. In
other words, emissions have been exported to other coun-
tries – without the climate benefiting in the slightest.
The primary purpose of CONCITO is to change these
conditions.
Pushing the boundaries of realpolitik
It all started in November 2007. The general election had just been held, and
the last ballots were being counted. Martin Lidegaard, who at the time had been
a member of Parliament for six years, had not been reelected. Over the follow-
ing days, he was approached by a number of businesses and NGOs, encouraging
him to start a new, green think tank in Denmark. The reasoning was straight-
forward: the climate challenge is here to stay – and there is a pressing need for
businesses, civil society, and the scientific community to join forces to come up
with concrete options for moving society in a more sustainable direction.
Together with the author of this article, Martin Lidegaard set to work on build-
ing a new think tank from the ground up. The goal was – and is – to gather the
best and most influential businesses, organisations, scientists, and individuals in a
network, which is independent of party politics and independent of commercial
interests. The former was ensured by a broad membership, the latter by the bulk
of the think tank’s funding being comprised of grants from non-profit founda-
tions.
The network outputs scientifically-founded scenarios, which identify ways in
which the transport sector, the agricultural sector, energy production, construc-
tion, and consumption may be developed in a way that is actually sustainable,
i.e. that contributes to the prosperity of society without destroying the resources
upon which that prosperity is based.
No sooner said than done: in September 2008, the first 90 members were in
place, and a founding board of directors had already drafted articles of associa-
tion for the think tank over the summer. A grant from the Tryg Foundation
and the initial membership fees made possible the hiring of a managing director
and a project manager, as well as a salary for the chairman of the board. The
first chairman was Martin Lidegaard, until he was elected Minister of Climate,
Energy and Building in October 2011.
Since then things have been progressing rapidly: new projects have been com-
pleted with funding from Realdania, the Nordea Foundation, the Roskilde
Foundation, the Percentage Tax Foundation – and especially the VELUX
FOUNDATION. Today the secretariat employs eight people. Funding from
the VELUX FOUNDATION has been of primary importance to CONCITO
in 2010 and 2011, since it is due to this grant that CONCITO has been able to
conduct thorough, interdisciplinary analyses of Danish climate policies, just as
it has been possible to develop separate analyses of Danish consumer habits. In
other words, the VELUX FOUNDATION is funding CONCITO’s main raison
d’être, and has decided to continue until end of 2013.
118 CLIMATE POLICY VILLUM FOUNDATION AND VELUX FOUNDATION 119
ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY