Copenhagen is re-establishing an expert group that will recommend how the city can reduce residents’ exposure to air pollution and limit harmful pollution. The parties behind the municipal budget have set aside DKK 4.6 million to set up and run the group from 2027 to 2030. The decision follows a similar group that advised the city from 2019 to 2023.

What the group will do

The group will have up to 13 members, drawn from some of Denmark’s leading experts in air pollution and health, who will draw up concrete recommendations. Its tasks are to:

  • provide knowledge on pollution sources and on the societal and health-economic costs of air pollution;
  • assess the health effects of pollution from different sources in and around Copenhagen;
  • identify possible measures, analyse potential health gains and recommend initiatives to improve air quality;
  • review earlier recommendations to judge whether they are still relevant.

The recommendations will be published every year on the municipality’s website and presented at an open launch event with experts, politicians and stakeholders.

Organisation and a new alliance

The group will be based in the Health and Care Administration (SUF), in close cooperation with the Climate, Environment and Technical Administration (KTF). As a new element, an alliance of stakeholders will be set up to contribute professional and citizen-level perspectives. The alliance will also discuss how to turn the group’s recommendations into concrete measures.

Why the city is acting

The municipality gives these figures for air pollution in Copenhagen:

  • about 415 residents die prematurely each year, around 11% of all deaths in the municipality;
  • health costs of about DKK 7.6 billion in 2022;
  • more than 400,000 days of reduced activity each year;
  • local sources cause 7% of the premature deaths, while sources abroad and in surrounding municipalities cause about 93%.

Children are more susceptible to the harmful effects of air pollution than adults. Health and Care Mayor Jens-Kristian Lütken said measures should be based on the experts’ knowledge, data and recommendations. Line Barfod, mayor for climate, technical and environmental affairs, noted that Copenhagen’s levels are lower than in several other large cities, but that with 400 deaths a year the city must do more.

Background

The earlier expert group delivered annual reports. According to the city, these paved the way for more environmentally friendly cars, a ban on old wood-burning stoves and an alert app that notifies vulnerable residents when the air is most polluted.