Years ago, Zacharias spent some time in Aalborg as a student. A former Greenpeace activist — that’s how he got involved in environmental climate agenda — and worker in local NGO in Albertslund, he later returned to Aalborg and has now lived here for four years as a Green Agent for the Aalborg Kommune.
What is the most inspiring citizen-driven initiative aimed at furthering the green agenda that you have come across so far?
We have set up a project where you can borrow an electric bike and then bike to Aalborg instead of going by car. I think the woman behind it is very inspiring, and she does a lot for her community.
Why is sustainability important to you?
It has been a focus for me for many years now, but especially after my kids were born. Then it became even more important for me because I think we really have to change our behaviour if we want to create a world where the kids can grow up in and have a safe life. With the same qualities as we have today.
It has this very personal level for me, but when I first got engaged in this agenda, it was also about some kind of injustice. In the North, in Denmark and in Western Europe we use a lot of resources, but it is the people in the south who have to live with the consequences of our use.
What did you have to change in your life to become more sustainable?
I try to give my kids better habits than those I grew up with. I try to teach them not to waste, sort their garbage and save resources. I think that is my biggest effort at the moment because I also realize that many things are different when you have a family. But I still think I drive the car a little too often.
Is that something you’d like to change long term?
We can’t expect people to change their behaviour and their whole lifestyle from one day to another. It must make sense for the individual and we are all different. It must be small steps in the right direction. Every small step is a good thing. And I don’t see myself as a saint, I am not doing all the things in the right way. But again, some things are very difficult.
On the other hand, I stopped flying. Mostly. I like to spend my holidays in Denmark and Sweden, in places where I can go by train or car. But… I think it’s more important to ask yourself whether this experience at a distant place only reachable by flying? Going to the beach: I feel I can do that in Denmark and in Spain at the same quality, no matter where I go. But again, we all have things that we dream of seeing, and then we can make an exception.
Do you see Aalborg as a sustainable city?
I think we are going in the right direction. My job is to establish partnerships with citizens, NGOs and housing associations. I have been doing that for four years now and I can see that the interest in being part of these partnerships for sustainability is getting bigger and bigger. More and more people want to join and make a real impact.
But we are not sustainable until we have a circular economy and an energy system which is based on sustainable energy. I wouldn’t say that Aalborg is sustainable, but I see that many people here are working together to get us there. And it’s really good that we are going faster and faster. Obviously, our city council agrees that this is an important agenda and all our politicians prioritize it.
What do you think is the biggest challenge right now?
It’s a difficult question. We must be innovative if we want to create a circular economy. We need to find ways that we can use our resources, where we sort our garbage instead of selling plastic waste out of the country, we need to find ways to recycle within our own region. A real challenge by all means. Now we are taking the first step to see whether we have a consensus about what we are going to do. We want to be a circular region based on green energy. Many innovations are needed, but we cooperate with the university and hopefully, that will be very fruitful.
What do you think the government should do regarding sustainability? Is there something you need from the government to make it easier to be more locally sustainable?
Some years ago, the former government had a fund for local projects and local initiatives. From my point of view, it was important to have a place where you could find finances for local sustainability projects. I think it’s a shame that it was cancelled. A lot of good things came out of it. I think if they could do something like that again.
We have this target about being CO2 neutral by 2050, but you could always argue that that should be 2040 or 2045. I’m not that interested in that discussion. I mean, if 2050 is where they can find consensus, then that is how it is. But I think they could do more to support the local initiatives and raise awareness.
I’d also elaborate on the partnerships with housing associations. Our housing associations are very ambitious and want to establish sustainable partnerships. I think that’s wonderful because those can have a lot of impacts. It’s a way to get many citizens to change their behaviour.
If you could make one change locally here in Aalborg, what would it be?
We have an ambition that it should be easy to make the green choice in Aalborg and that’s in our sustainability strategy, that being green in Aalborg should be easy. We agree on this, but again: Transportation without a car in Aalborg municipality is not easy, and we could also do even better in sorting garbage.
If you can share any message to the youth in Aalborg, what would it be?
Be engaged in the city and grab all the opportunities… share and use your knowledge to create a greener and more sustainable city.
Interviews conducted by: Viktoriya Dimitrova
Article written by: Tereza Čechová
Edited by: Viktoriya Dimitrova
Interviewee: Zacharias B. Madsen
Photography: Hilda Bakhshi