Moderated, public debate in Danish on the green transition.
Brian Bech Nielsen
Rector at Aarhus University
Anders Winnerskjold
Mayor of Aarhus
Conference moderator: Lotte Folke
Journalist, Opinion Editor, Politiken
Michael Obersteiner
Professor and Director of the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford
Beyond 1.5°C: Climate Overshoot, Irreversible Change, and the Case for Net-Negative Futures
While international climate goals have coalesced around limiting global warming to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels, emerging evidence suggests that even temporary overshoot of this threshold may trigger irreversible and long-term consequences. Using coupled Earth system model simulations extending to the year 2500, we will explore the deep-time impacts of current policy trajectories, focusing on sea level rise, permafrost stability, and biosphere integrity. These results show that overshoot pathways—even those that eventually return to 1.5°C—are associated with persistent sea level commitment, irreversible carbon feedbacks, and elevated risks of tipping point cascades. As such, we will argue that climate targets based solely on 2100 outcomes are inadequate for ensuring long-term planetary stability. To address this, a new framing of climate ambition centered on multi-century net-negative emissions and precautionary backstop measures, including the potential role of geoengineering. Without this shift in perspective, current climate strategies may be insufficient to prevent undesirable outcomes for future generations.
Climate change is upon us. We have to put a stop to it – and time is of the essence. In this debate, we explore different kinds of barriers to climate action: scientific, economic, behavioural and political. We’ll discuss why we haven’t yet taken the most essential steps to put a stop to climate effects, and we’ll attempt to identify where we might find the best solutions.
Anders Eldrup
Chairperson, Innovation Fund Denmark and windmill testcenter LORC and Board Member at Innargi and Norlys Energy
In addition, Anders Eldrup is former CEO of Dong Energy (Ørsted) and former chair of the commission for the green transition of personal vehicles. Anders will share insights from his vast experience in working with the green transition in Denmark for several years.
Katherine Richardson
Professor of Sustainability Science, University of Copenhagen
Tanja Ebbe Dalgaard
Chief Strategy & Operations Officer, Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping
Tanja has over 25 years of experience in leadership, strategy, corporate transformation, and business development in international energy companies. She currently serves as Chief Strategy & Operations Officer at the Mærsk McKinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping. Her leadership spans Denmark and abroad, with a strong focus on climate action and advancing net-zero goals in the energy and maritime sectors.
Michael Svarer
Professor of Economics, Aarhus University
Michael was chair of the expert group to design regulation to achieve a 70% reduction in greenhouse emissions from Denmark in 2030. He argues that by combining carbon taxes and subsidies for green technology it is possible to achieve ambitious climate targets that are both socially, economically, and politically feasible.
Henrik Seiding
Managing Director, Urban planning and Environment, City of Aarhus.
Henrik is heading the municipal department of urban planning and environment, covering e.g. climate change, urban development, mobility, infrastructure, spatial planning and building regulations, environmental issues, energy, etc. Aarhus is on the verge of delivering and implementing the upcoming Local Climate Action Plan and Plan for Green Mobility, which are both central to reaching the city’s climate-neutrality target by 2030. Also Aarhus is planning for higher resiliency to cope with local consequences of climate change.
Moderator: Lotte Folke
Journalist, Opinion Editor, Politiken
with Michael Obersteiner and Henrik Seiding
Requires separate registration
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with Tommy Ahlers and Peter Mølgaard
Requires separate registration
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Lone Dencker Wisborg, Adviser, founder of Wisborg Advisory and Former Ambassador of Denmark to NATO. Former Ambassador of Denmark to the US.
How will new political winds from the US affect the fight against climate change?
Moderator Lotte Folke in an interview with Lone Dencker Wisborg.
Take aways and impressions - interview with professor and member of the MatchPoints 2025 Advisory Committee Lars Ditlev Mørck Ottosen. Moderated by Lotte Folke.
After two days of knowledge exchange, the conference will conclude with a focus on hope and solutions. The panel will discuss what action we can take to ensure that society acts to put a stop to climate change now. Industry has developed green technologies, research foundations are investing billions in climate research and development, and the research is better than ever before. Improved collaboration is among the obvious solution. But what form should it take? And whose responsibility is it to drive the green transition forward?
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