Press release from Climatorium, Lemvig Municipality and Central Denmark Region on April 30, 2020
These days, a not-so-common cooperation agreement is beeing signed virtually on either side of the globe. The collaboration is about the exchange of knowledge on climate adaptation, sustainability, education and construction of a New Zealand Climate Center (Climatorium) in accordance with the Mid-Jutland model.
The agreement is based on Climatorium in Lemvig Municipality - which originates from the large EU climate project Coast to Coast Climate Challenge (C2CCC) led by the Central Jutland Region. In the C2CCC, the region, municipalities, private actors as well as educational and knowledge institutions work together on climate adaptation.
New Zealand faces many of the same climate challenges as Denmark: sea level rise, precipitation and changes in temperatures. A delegation from New Zealand visited Denmark in 2017 and heard about the thoughts of the Climate Center, which is currently being built. During the visit, the plan arose for a similar Climatorium in New Zealand and the possibility of wider cooperation on climate and sustainability.
- The agreement with the New Zealanders is an example of the world seeing what is happening in the Central Jutland when it comes to climate change. At the same time, we also have a strong interest in exchanging knowledge with New Zealand, because we have a lot to learn from each other about climate, circular economy and sustainability. The collaboration can potentially give us more knowledge in our work on a more sustainable health care system, and we know that in hospitals they have worked strategically with sustainability and waste for many years. And in the area of climate, cooperation can help to spread climate solutions from the Central Jutland region to the benefit of both the education area and Central Jutland companies, says Regional Council President Anders Kühnau (A).
Will share knowledge on climate adaptation and sustainability
With the agreement, the Danish partners hope to find new ways of collaborating internationally. In addition to the plans to build a Climatorium in the city of Nelson, New Zealand, two areas have been identified where cooperation can make a positive contribution to the parties' respective goals, including the UN's global goals.
First, the parties must share knowledge on how to adapt to climate change and implement solutions that not only address water challenges, but also contribute positively to citizens' daily lives and health. Secondly, the parties must work to equip current and future generations with the best possible knowledge of climate adaptation and circular economics so that they are able to get involved.
- I am pleased that we now have a framework for an efficient and smart collaboration between two climate centers in each part of the world. For example, we can draw on New Zealand's vast experience of recycling. They see, among other things a win in our model of collaboration, the quadruple helix model, where different levels of research and education institutions work with private and public actors as well as civilians to find innovative solutions to the climate challenges, says director of Climatorium Lars Nørgaard Holmegaard.
Local climate adaptations benefit citizens and businesses
New Zealand is in many ways similar to Denmark. For example, both countries have plenty of water around them and populations are close to each other.
- The cooperation agreement is an important milestone for Lemvig Municipality. For several years, we have worked very specifically on climate adaptation. For us, it is very much about combining climate adaptation investments with solutions that contribute positively to the daily lives of citizens and open up opportunities for local businesses. Our partners in New Zealand see it as an exciting way to work. Conversely, we can also learn from them for the benefit of our citizens and business, says the mayor of Lemvig Municipality, Erik Flyvholm (V).
New Zealand has extensive experience in sorting waste in hospitals. as a consequence of the national focus on waste sorting and new materials in hospitals much longer than DK. The Central Jutland Region and Climatorium, in turn, have knowledge of sustainability and climate adaptation in construction and energy renovation, about climate adaptation and cooperation on climate solutions.
Objectives of cooperation
- The Parties share the following objectives:
To create a collaboration with each other that identifies initiatives and activities that are in line with the parties' ambitions and goals. Including working together on specific issues, such as promoting less consumption, more recycling and recycling in the operation of health care. - To gain a better understanding of the climate challenges, opportunities and initiatives that exist in Te Tauihu (the top of the south island of New Zealand), Lemvig Municipality and the Central Jutland Region.
- To gain a better understanding of the quadruple helix model, where different levels of research and education institutions collaborate with private and public actors to find innovative solutions to common challenges. The climate challenges are a good example of such a challenge that must be addressed in partnerships locally, regionally, nationally and globally.
- To explore identified climate challenges or related projects that are mutually beneficial and support the goals and aspirations of the parties.
In addition, it is the ambition of the Central Denmark Region to investigate the possibility of knowledge collaboration in relation to sustainable hospitals. New Zealand is well advanced in the waste sorting field of hospitals, among other things. as a consequence of their focus on waste sorting and new materials in hospitals longer than Denmark. In addition, New Zealand already had its first sustainability consultants in hospitals in 2012. It is the Region of Central Jutland now introducing to all the hospital units.
The specific projects that may arise as a result of the cooperation agreement will be dealt with separately. The cooperation agreement does not impose any legal or financial obligations on the region.
The next steps in the concretisation of the cooperation were planned to take place during a visit from the Wakatū organization and Nelson City Council in Denmark in August this year in connection with the opening of Climatorium. Due to the Corona virus, the visit has been canceled, while the plan is to open Climatorium virtually.
About the New Zealand partners
The influential Māori-owned Wakatū group is strongly committed to climate solutions and sustainability. It cooperates with the city of Nelson and the region on the southern main island in both areas. It was Wakatū who, in his search for new climate solutions in 2018, visited Climatorium in Lemvig together with representatives of Nelson and the region.
The Wakatū Group is making money to get land back to the original Māori owners. They cultivate the land and have family shares - 20,000 people. A family owned business - and they are an important player. Ift. decisions in society there is a tradition that you always ask the Māori if you have to ask the New Zealanders.
Wakatū is owned by 4,000 Māori families that originate from the original landowners on the northern tip of the South Island. Wakatū was created to represent the interests of its Māori landowners and to ensure the proper management of its land and other assets. They cultivate the land, operate fish farms and are an important voice in the community where they act as a voice for the Maoris.
Nelson is a city on the eastern shore of Tasman Bay at the top of the South Island of New Zealand. The city, New Zealand's second oldest, has approximately 53,000 inhabitants and covers a land area of 422 km2. The city is governed by Nelson City Council, which serves as both local and regional government, with responsibilities within both the environment and the provision of local services. The region has approx. 150,000 inhabitants.
More information
Anders Kühnau (A), regionsrådsformand, Region Midtjylland: 2360 2768 / kuhnau@rr.rm.dk
Lars Nørgaard Holmegaard, direktør, Klimatorium: 4048 3008 / lanh@klimatorium.dk
Erik Flyvholm, borgmester, Lemvig Kommune, 2166 2502 / erik.flyvholm@lemvig.dk
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