Array
(
    [id] => 156
    [active] => 1
    [city_id] => 4
    [city_name] => Copenhagen
    [contact_name] => Mike
    [contact_surname] => Hansen
    [contact_email] => mha@woco.dk
    [organisation] => Wonderful Copenhagen
    [website] => https://www.wonderfulcopenhagen.com/convention-bureau/copenhagen/sustainable-copenhagen
    [environmental_description] => Copenhagen is known as one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the world aiming to become the world’s first carbon neutral capital city in 2025. As of September 2019, 72% of the city’s hotel rooms have a third-party sustainability certification, with many more rooms currently under construction expected to become certified at time of completion. Copenhagen is also known for its clean water in the harbors, inviting the locals to swim in the canals every summer. CNN, for instance, rated Copenhagen as the world’s best city for swimming in May 2018. Furthermore, Copenhagen received a score of 99.9 out of 100 in the Social Progress Index’s 2019 water & sanitation category and 95% of Copenhagen’s waste water receives centralized treatment.

Just 4% of solid waste in Copenhagen is disposed of in landfills, while 66% of the city’s waste is recycled. 74% of the city’s electricity comes from sustainable sources, which helps limit the city’s emission of green house gasses to just 2.2 tonnes per capita (2017). Additionally, the city has low levels of particulate matter in the city’s air, at just 10 ug/m3 for PM2.5 and 20 ug/m3 for PM10.
    [social_description] => Copenhagen is the capital of a country that is listed in the absolute top of several rankings. For instance, Denmark is ranked as the least corrupt country in the world accordingly to the transparency corruption perception index 2019 (tied for first place with New Zealand). Denmark has also managed to rank top 2 according to The World Happiness Report 2019, rank 2 in the Gender Inequality Index 2018 and is the number 1 most gay-friendly place on the planet according to Lonely Planet (2019).

Additionally, Denmark is ranked as the most prosperous country according to the Legatum Prosperity Index 2019 and amongst the top 5 most peaceful countries according to the Global Peace Index 2019 (GPI). 

In Denmark we have high level of welfare and healthcare. For instance Danes don't pay for hospital or education, and even at university level, there is no tuition fee. In fact every Danish student receives around 900$ per month from the state.
    [supplier_description] => Copenhagen is known as a sustainable MICE-destination, having hosted a number of high-profile events such as the first ever eco-certified political COP15 in 2009 and the most sustainable EU Presidency in 2012 (certified to ISO-20121). In addition, the city hosted the international climate summit, C40 World Mayors Summit in 2019, which brought together mayors and leaders from 90+ of the world’s most environmentally conscious cities. But it is not only events held in Copenhagen that have a sustainable focus. A majority of Copenhagen’s suppliers have placed sustainability at the forefront of their business. Thus, nearly 70 % of the hotel rooms in Copenhagen and 91% of the city’s venues are currently eco-certified with a 3rd party certification. As Copenhagen’s hotel capacity continues to grow, expecting to reach nearly 30,000 rooms in 2021, the aim is that 90 % of large hotel rooms will be eco-certified by then.
    [dmo_description] => In 2018, Copenhagen’s DMO, Wonderful Copenhagen launched its sustainability strategy ‘Tourism for Good’ with an ambition to ensure that tourism has a positive impact on local and global sustainable development. Contributing to the realisation of UN SDGs, the strategy consists of four focus areas: Broadening tourism, Tourism choices matter, Partnerships for good and Leading by example. The same year, the strategy won the ICCA Innovation Award. In the beginning of 2019, Wonderful Copenhagen became the first DMO to receive the Green Tourism Organization certification – a certification that focuses on supporting destinations and organisations that make an extra effort for sustainability.
    [logo] => https://omni.gds.earth/storage/public_website/destination_logos/vlLXK3EPVYoS6UNX5DIhg0Rn6fffeRHmVpIx7JGV.jpeg
    [video] => 86SXs9gCc-o
    [img_1] => https://omni.gds.earth/storage/public_website/destination_photos/5bed71bf0dc22.jpg
    [img_2] => https://omni.gds.earth/storage/public_website/destination_photos/5bed71c31ea41.jpg
    [img_3] => https://omni.gds.earth/storage/public_website/destination_photos/5bed87efda99d.jpg
    [img_4] => https://omni.gds.earth/storage/public_website/destination_photos/5e679a821db12.jpg
    [img_5] => https://omni.gds.earth/storage/public_website/destination_photos/5e679ab2c20a9.jpg
    [high_env_1] => 61
    [high_env_2] => 45
    [high_env_3] => 747
    [high_soc_1] => 84
    [high_soc_2] => 92
    [high_soc_3] => 87
    [high_sup_1] => 68
    [high_sup_2] => 91
    [high_sup_3] => 19
    [high_dmo_1] => Sustainability vision and action plan established for events,Sustainability vision and action plan established for tourism,Multi year strategy (+3 years),Aligned to the city's overall development agenda (not just tourism and events),Aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
    [high_dmo_2] => 0
    [high_dmo_3] => Sustainability strategy and performance data published annually on CVB/DMOs website,Sustainability strategy and performance data included in Annual DMO or sustainability Report,Sustainability reporting shows progress of strategy and performance against the Sustainable Development Goals
    [created_at] => 2020-12-11 06:23:43
    [updated_at] => 2022-11-15 12:01:15
    [year] => 2020
)
Array
(
    [id] => 156
    [year] => 2020
    [city_id] => 4
    [city_name] => Copenhagen
    [score_type] => city
    [Total] => 83.09
    [Total_rank] => 1
    [Environment] => 80.33
    [Environment_rank] => 3
    [Social] => 86.49
    [Social_rank] => 2
    [Supplier] => 77.5
    [Supplier_rank] => 2
    [DMO] => 87.5
    [DMO_rank] => 1
    [longitude] => 12.568337199999974
    [latitude] => 55.6760968
    [population] => 794128
    [country] => Denmark
    [region] => Nordic
    [created_at] => 2020-12-05 00:00:16
    [updated_at] => 2020-12-08 10:06:27
)
Copenhagen 2020 GDS-Index Report
2020 Performance Overview
DMO
Supplier
Social
Environmental
Performance Highlights
Summary
Environmental
Supplier
Social
In 2018, Copenhagen’s DMO, Wonderful Copenhagen launched its sustainability strategy ‘Tourism for Good’ with an ambition to ensure that tourism has a positive impact on local and global sustainable development. Contributing to the realisation of UN SDGs, the strategy consists of four focus areas: Broadening tourism, Tourism choices matter, Partnerships for good and Leading by example. The same year, the strategy won the ICCA Innovation Award. In the beginning of 2019, Wonderful Copenhagen became the first DMO to receive the Green Tourism Organization certification – a certification that focuses on supporting destinations and organisations that make an extra effort for sustainability.
Copenhagen is known as one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the world aiming to become the world’s first carbon neutral capital city in 2025. As of September 2019, 72% of the city’s hotel rooms have a third-party sustainability certification, with many more rooms currently under construction expected to become certified at time of completion. Copenhagen is also known for its clean water in the harbors, inviting the locals to swim in the canals every summer. CNN, for instance, rated Copenhagen as the world’s best city for swimming in May 2018. Furthermore, Copenhagen received a score of 99.9 out of 100 in the Social Progress Index’s 2019 water & sanitation category and 95% of Copenhagen’s waste water receives centralized treatment. Just 4% of solid waste in Copenhagen is disposed of in landfills, while 66% of the city’s waste is recycled. 74% of the city’s electricity comes from sustainable sources, which helps limit the city’s emission of green house gasses to just 2.2 tonnes per capita (2017). Additionally, the city has low levels of particulate matter in the city’s air, at just 10 ug/m3 for PM2.5 and 20 ug/m3 for PM10.
Copenhagen is known as a sustainable MICE-destination, having hosted a number of high-profile events such as the first ever eco-certified political COP15 in 2009 and the most sustainable EU Presidency in 2012 (certified to ISO-20121). In addition, the city hosted the international climate summit, C40 World Mayors Summit in 2019, which brought together mayors and leaders from 90+ of the world’s most environmentally conscious cities. But it is not only events held in Copenhagen that have a sustainable focus. A majority of Copenhagen’s suppliers have placed sustainability at the forefront of their business. Thus, nearly 70 % of the hotel rooms in Copenhagen and 91% of the city’s venues are currently eco-certified with a 3rd party certification. As Copenhagen’s hotel capacity continues to grow, expecting to reach nearly 30,000 rooms in 2021, the aim is that 90 % of large hotel rooms will be eco-certified by then.
Copenhagen is the capital of a country that is listed in the absolute top of several rankings. For instance, Denmark is ranked as the least corrupt country in the world accordingly to the transparency corruption perception index 2019 (tied for first place with New Zealand). Denmark has also managed to rank top 2 according to The World Happiness Report 2019, rank 2 in the Gender Inequality Index 2018 and is the number 1 most gay-friendly place on the planet according to Lonely Planet (2019). Additionally, Denmark is ranked as the most prosperous country according to the Legatum Prosperity Index 2019 and amongst the top 5 most peaceful countries according to the Global Peace Index 2019 (GPI). In Denmark we have high level of welfare and healthcare. For instance Danes don't pay for hospital or education, and even at university level, there is no tuition fee. In fact every Danish student receives around 900$ per month from the state.
Summary
In 2018, Copenhagen’s DMO, Wonderful Copenhagen launched its sustainability strategy ‘Tourism for Good’ with an ambition to ensure that tourism has a positive impact on local and global sustainable development. Contributing to the realisation of UN SDGs, the strategy consists of four focus areas: Broadening tourism, Tourism choices matter, Partnerships for good and Leading by example. The same year, the strategy won the ICCA Innovation Award. In the beginning of 2019, Wonderful Copenhagen became the first DMO to receive the Green Tourism Organization certification – a certification that focuses on supporting destinations and organisations that make an extra effort for sustainability.
Does Wonderful Copenhagen have a Sustainability Strategy?
Does Copenhagen have a sustainable destination certificate?
Does Wonderful Copenhagen report on its sustainability performance?
Environmental
Copenhagen is known as one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the world aiming to become the world’s first carbon neutral capital city in 2025. As of September 2019, 72% of the city’s hotel rooms have a third-party sustainability certification, with many more rooms currently under construction expected to become certified at time of completion. Copenhagen is also known for its clean water in the harbors, inviting the locals to swim in the canals every summer. CNN, for instance, rated Copenhagen as the world’s best city for swimming in May 2018. Furthermore, Copenhagen received a score of 99.9 out of 100 in the Social Progress Index’s 2019 water & sanitation category and 95% of Copenhagen’s waste water receives centralized treatment. Just 4% of solid waste in Copenhagen is disposed of in landfills, while 66% of the city’s waste is recycled. 74% of the city’s electricity comes from sustainable sources, which helps limit the city’s emission of green house gasses to just 2.2 tonnes per capita (2017). Additionally, the city has low levels of particulate matter in the city’s air, at just 10 ug/m3 for PM2.5 and 20 ug/m3 for PM10.
OF ELECTRICITY FROM RENEWABLES
OF WASTE RECYCLED
747 ha
HECTARES OF GREEN AREA PER 100 000 POPULATION
Supplier
Copenhagen is known as a sustainable MICE-destination, having hosted a number of high-profile events such as the first ever eco-certified political COP15 in 2009 and the most sustainable EU Presidency in 2012 (certified to ISO-20121). In addition, the city hosted the international climate summit, C40 World Mayors Summit in 2019, which brought together mayors and leaders from 90+ of the world’s most environmentally conscious cities. But it is not only events held in Copenhagen that have a sustainable focus. A majority of Copenhagen’s suppliers have placed sustainability at the forefront of their business. Thus, nearly 70 % of the hotel rooms in Copenhagen and 91% of the city’s venues are currently eco-certified with a 3rd party certification. As Copenhagen’s hotel capacity continues to grow, expecting to reach nearly 30,000 rooms in 2021, the aim is that 90 % of large hotel rooms will be eco-certified by then.
OF HOTEL ROOMS SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFIED
OF VENUES SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFIED
OF PCOS/DMCS SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFIED
Social
Copenhagen is the capital of a country that is listed in the absolute top of several rankings. For instance, Denmark is ranked as the least corrupt country in the world accordingly to the transparency corruption perception index 2019 (tied for first place with New Zealand). Denmark has also managed to rank top 2 according to The World Happiness Report 2019, rank 2 in the Gender Inequality Index 2018 and is the number 1 most gay-friendly place on the planet according to Lonely Planet (2019). Additionally, Denmark is ranked as the most prosperous country according to the Legatum Prosperity Index 2019 and amongst the top 5 most peaceful countries according to the Global Peace Index 2019 (GPI). In Denmark we have high level of welfare and healthcare. For instance Danes don't pay for hospital or education, and even at university level, there is no tuition fee. In fact every Danish student receives around 900$ per month from the state.
84
SDG IMPLEMENTATION SCORE
92
SCORE ON SOCIAL PROGRESS INDEX
87
SCORE ON CORRUPTION PERCEPTION INDEX
Compare another
Destination

About the Global Destination Sustainability Movement

The Global Destination Sustainability Movement (GDSM) brings together the sustainability pioneers of the business and leisure tourism world, working with destinations to co-create their tourism and events strategies, benchmark and improve their sustainability performance and transform value chains in order to catalyse regeneration.

Our purpose is to engage, inspire and enable the business events and tourism industry to become more sustainable and regenerative.

 

Our Methodology

In 2022 the GDS-Index used 70 indicators that evaluate destinations sustainability performance across four key areas. If you are interested, you can read our benchmarking methodology in detail here.

Environmental
Performance

Climate, Energy and Emissions​

Circularity and Waste​

Water​

Air Quality​

Transportation​

Biodiversity​

Social
Performance

SDG Alignment ​

Corruption​

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion​

Health, Safety and Wellness​

Accessibility ​

Resident Engagement​

Supplier
Performance

Hotels​

Airport​

Agencies (PCOs & DMCs)​

Restaurants​

Venues​

Academia​

Destination
Management
Performance

Destination Strategy​

Governance and Reporting​

Policy and Certification​

Capacity Building​

Measurement, Impact and Reporting​

Marketing and Communications​

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion​

Ownership

The GDS­M is not owned by any one organisation. It is operated as a multi-­stakeholder partnership founded and endorsed by IMEX, MCI, the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) and City Destinations Alliance (CityDNA). Gubi Consulting and Guy Bigwood are responsible for the management of the Secretariat.

To download this page as a PDF, please click the ‘Print’ option in your browser, and instead of printing it select ‘Save as PDF’. For best results, we recommend using the following settings, and Chrome as your browser. This won’t work well when using Safari or Firefox.

1. Set the scale to 60%.

2. Turn on background graphics (in Firefox, this is called the colours and images).

3. Turn off page headers and footers.

4. Turn off margins.

You may have to click on ‘More Settings’ when using Chrome, in order to change the settings above.

Print