TheCopenhagenPost
February 10th, 2017

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Copenhageners have no problem with the offshore turbines at Middelgrunden (photo: Leonard G)

Copenhagen residents are in favour of the city’s many wind turbines, and they are avid supporters of the city’s goal to become the world’s first carbon-neutral capital in 2025.

According to the results of a new citizen survey conducted by Epinion, plans to erect wind turbines on several sites in the municipality and in the Sound between Copenhagen and Sweden have the solid backing of the city’s residents.

The results are good news for the main players in the initiative: HOFOR (the Greater Copenhagen Utility) and the city of Copenhagen.

Wind on the water
Fully 85 percent support the building of new wind turbines in the Sound, while 71 percent would like to see more new wind turbines onshore in the city’s outer harbour areas.

“It goes without saying that we had hoped for a positive result, but the fact that so many Copenhageners support the expansion of renewable energy is quite staggering,” said Morten Kabell, Copenhagen’s mayor for technical and environmental affairs.

“This bodes well for the city’s ambition to become the world’s first carbon-neutral capital and maintain Denmark’s leading green position in the world.”

Noise? No problem
Frank Jensen, the lord mayor of Copenhagen, noted that it was “encouraging to see that the people of Copenhagen very much share the green goals we have for the development of our wonderful city”.

Noise is often part of the debate when wind turbines are mentioned, but the survey revealed that only 12 percent of Copenhageners think that wind turbines are noisy. And just 14 percent think the turbines are a blot on Copenhagen’s landscape.

READ MORE: Denmark nearing 2020 wind energy target

Some 1,197 adults in Copenhagener (49 percent men and 51 percent women) participated in the survey, which was conducted in November 2016.

The complete results of the survey are available here (in Danish).