Sustainable power
LEAVING MORE THAN WE TAKE
PEOPLE
Planet
PROFIT
Sustainability 360
The term sustainability originated in the world of forestry and refers to the capacity of maintaining af certain level. Today, the terminology has broadened and rests on three pillars: environment, social responsibility, and economics – or as some prefer on People, Planet and Profit. No matter which concepts are used, the importance rests on the idea that sustainability is not only an environmental issue, for projects and actions to be sustainable this must be in the broader sense. The world needs more renewable energy, and we need to develop it in a way that respects our current surroundings, without compromising future needs or creating future problems and we need to create revenue in the process to ensure the continued growth of the sector. You can review our sustainability policy here:
PEOPLE
We all want renewable energy for the world, but not everybody wants wind turbines or solar panels in their backyard. The projects we develop do not exist in a vacuum, but in the context of local stakeholders that might be positively or negatively affected by it. Projects must take into consideration the local community it will be part of and seek to integrate the project in a way that balances all interests.
At Danish Renewables, our commitment to renewable energy extends beyond generating renewable energy; it encompasses a deep respect for people – both the ones we work with and the ones we work for. We firmly believe that listening, understanding, and engaging with stakeholders are vital steps in building long-lasting and thriving projects that benefit everyone involved.
THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
From the outset, we strive to engage with all local stakeholders, recognizing that transparency is the cornerstone of strong and stable relationships. By fostering open lines of communication, we create an environment where concerns and needs can be freely expressed and addressing the various themes that are important to local stakeholders early in the process. For some these concerns relate to how the solar parks fit into the surroundings – for some this means planting living fences and hiding the panels and for others this means showing them off to the world. Other concerns are often local job creation and local tax income.
Based on the basic principle that we wish to give back more than we take when we plan parks, we also consult the local community to understand how best to promote and protect local biodiversity.
In essence, strong community support is at the heart of our solar energy development goals. We firmly believe that by respecting and addressing the concerns of the local community, we can create projects that are not only sustainable and economically beneficial but also embrace the collective vision for a greener and more prosperous future. Together, we embark on a journey towards a brighter, cleaner, and more sustainable tomorrow.
THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE THINGS HAPPEN
Behind any amount of clean, renewable energy you will find engineers, project developers, investors, builders, electricians, operators, maintenance people and others being from the development company or the local community. Whatever role, contribution and locality of the people involved in our projects, Danish Renewables is born and raised in and as a culture of equality, inclusion and disregard for religion. We believe in respect for our people and respect for the quality of their work.
For specifics on what code we work by, please revise our Code of Conduct that you can find HERE.
If you witness in any way conduct that does not comply with this code of conduct, by anyone related to Danish Renewables, that being a direct employee or a subcontracted partner – please make us aware of this addressing reaching out to us through our contact form here.
LANDOWNERS
The local landowners that lease or sell their land to renewable energy projects are also people we need to have open and clear communication with. More and more landowners lease land out to energy projects, that have the advantage of providing better, stable, long term income from the land while being part of making the world just a little bit greener. The construction of wind or solar parks is not very invasive and the land can easily be restored after the ended period of leasing.
On top of providing the world with clean energy, many landowners also appreciate our biodiversity measures implemented in all of our parks. In some countries it is also quite common for landowners to continue to use the land for agriculture – allowing for the beneficial combination of renewable energy and farming.
PLANET
Creating a more sustainable world is a common task. Across the globe we need collaborate towards this goal. Both EU and UN have set out goals to act as guides for the businesses of the world. Apart from having the obvious impacts on clean energy and life on land, the development of renewable energy projects is also very much a matter of creating more sustainable cities (goal 11) and cultivating partnerships (goal 17) across industries and knowledge areas that will ensure a continuous improvement of the processes we work with.
In the development of our projects, we also include biodiversity concerns as a part of our design process, as aligned with the EU ambition to ensure that by 2050 all of the world’s ecosystems and their services are restored to a good ecological condition, resilient, and adequately protected.
Renewable energy facilities represent opportunities for strengthening the biodiversity in the area with simple yet effective measures that can create a net positive effect on the pieces of land involved in the parks after 5-10 years – the potential results after 30-40 years are huge.
In order to take advantage of the possibilities for biodiversity enhancement, the focus must be included from the onset of the project development, since many actions are as simple as protecting certain areas in order to protect small or fragile ecosystems and planning for actions to stimulate others.
RENEWABLE ENERGY & BIODIVERSITY
Renewable energy facilities are great partners with local needs for biodiversity and represent great opportunities for enhancing the state of local biodiversity. Because of the not very invasive construction form raised above ground, solar parks in general provide options for agriculture as well as for growth and stimulation of specific species and habitat conservation (and improvement) of fragile ecosystems.
In many countries land used for solar parks is mostly land with little other use, low nutrition content, that often has been used for monoculture farming. These areas rarely have a flourishing biodiversity content – quite the contrary. The construction of solar parks can in most cases easily convert areas of land into thriving ecosystems through simple cost-effective actions:
- Scraping off topsoil
- Spreading woodchips or dry weeds
- Constructing humid areas with rocks and old wood
- Partially scraping away mud from humid areas
- Planting live fences with local species
PROFIT
Investing in renewable energy is a way to improve your future and not just because it is good for the climate.
For many advocates of green energy and climate mitigation, money is definitely more foe than friend, being associated with capitalism and related to factors driving climate change in the wrong direction.
However, in order to limit global warming, eradicate the use of fossil fuels and live in a world powered by green renewable energy – renewable energy needs to be great business and projects need to be attractive for investors. If we dont create revenue we cant raise investment for renewable energy – so renewable energy has to be good business in every way.
Renewable energy facilities are also a source of positive stimulation for local communities. Cheaper electricity and more jobs also ensure that not only investors profit from energy projects, but the whole community surrounding it benefits.
In order to achieve climate goals from the Paris Agreement, we need to double the level of annual investment in renewables compared to current levels. Currently, despite the fact that profits from renewables were 367% higher than from fossil fuels in the last ten years, impressively outperforming fossil fuel investment, the world hasn’t seen a corresponding heightening in the level of investment we need to decarbonize the economy and mitigate climate change.
Every project of renewable energy installed, drives learning and technology advance, which in turn lead to lower costs, creating higher capacity. This cycle of learning and improving by doing is what drives the energy transition the world so desperately needs.
ECONOMIC IMPACT ON LOCAL COMMUNITIES
Setting aside the macro perspective, projects also need to be sustainable economically on a local level. In the local stakeholder perspective, renewable energy projects can add to local tax revenues and boost local job and economic growth. Renewable energy facilities are also a source of positive stimulation for local communities. Cheaper electricity and more jobs also ensure that not only investors profit from energy projects, but the whole community surrounding it benefits.
Renewable energy facilities are also a source of positive stimulation for local communities. Cheaper electricity and more jobs also ensure that not only investors profit from energy projects, but the whole community surrounding it benefits.
This is why part of our work is to make renewable energy attractive as investment opportunities, since we are still far from reaching the levels of investment we need to drive this crucial change for the planet.
SUSTAINABILITY POLICY
We believe that renewable energy is good business for everyone, meaning it benefits investors, the planet, and the local communities surrounding the projects we develop. Sustainable development cannot only focus on creating clean energy, but should also be sustainable in social, economic, and environmental terms.
Sustainability is a relatively new term that is being elaborated and explored on a daily basis to determine what can be considered sustainable and how it can be achieved. As there is no finite answer or clear definition, Danish Renewables has developed this policy to define our commitment to conducting business in a sustainable manner. Amongst all the questions surrounding the concept, it is clear that at the center of global sustainability lies the ability of businesses to integrate sustainability into every part of our processes.
The purpose of this policy is to define our commitment to sustainable business practices, both for ourselves and to clarify to the world the rules we live by when we conduct business. The policy serves as a guide for our own processes and for our partners in other parts of the world.
Economic sustainability
For us at Danish Renewables, economic sustainability means creating projects that ensure growth and development in a socially and environmentally responsible way towards their surroundings. It requires taking a broad perspective, which considers the impact of our projects on local communities, livelihoods, and ecosystems. We strive to develop projects with positive economic and social impacts while minimizing the negative environmental impacts that we identify in any project, both actual and potential.
Renewable energy projects are, when looked at in isolation, sustainable in terms of their potential for reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions by being a cost-competitive cleaner alternative to coal, oil, and gas. However, talking about economic sustainability requires looking beyond the obvious.
It also means working towards creating local economic benefits such as local labor opportunities, competitive energy costs by reducing dependence on foreign oil and gas, and at the same time ensuring a process of identifying, monitoring, and creating solutions to any potentially negative social or environmental impacts.
Social sustainability
At Danish Renewables, we believe that sustainability goes beyond environmental responsibility and also includes social and economic considerations. We are committed to creating a positive social impact in the communities where we operate, and we strive to build a socially sustainable business model that supports human rights while also creating economic growth within local communities and the green energy sector.
Human and labor Rights
We are committed to respecting human and labor rights and to ensuring that our operations do not compromise human or labor rights in any way but exceed requirements according to international law wherever possible. We will promote and respect human rights by establishing policies and procedures that prohibit discrimination, child labor, forced labor, and any other violations of human rights. We recognize the importance of fair and equitable labor practices and are committed to promoting decent working conditions and respecting workers’ rights. We will ensure that our employees, contractors, and suppliers receive fair compensation, work reasonable hours, and work in a safe and healthy environment. We will when needed provide our employees with training and respect workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining.
Pursuing talent means embracing diversity
To pursue our purpose and work continuously to develop possibilities for greener energy, we as a company pursue talent in the people we work with without regard for age, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. We believe that the quest for working with the best talent naturally leads to a company culture characterized by open communication and collaboration between a diversity of cultures, ethnicities, ages and genders.
Corruption and money laundering
Our organization is committed to maintaining high ethical standards and preventing corruption in all its forms. We recognize that corruption undermines the integrity of our operations, damages our reputation, and harms the communities we serve. We maintain strict accounting procedures and financial controls to ensure transparency and accountability in all our operations. We require all our employees, contractors, and partners to comply with this policy and to report any suspected incidents of corruption. We are committed to investigating any such reports and taking appropriate action against any individuals found to have engaged in corrupt practices.
Environmental sustainability
Danish Renewables is committed to minimizing our environmental impact and promoting sustainable practices in all aspects of our operations. Therefore, we strive to operate our renewable energy business in a way that is environmentally responsible from start to finish, making sure not only the end is environmentally sustainable but also the means. Following EU taxonomy criteria, the goal is not only to contribute substantially to climate change mitigation as the number 1 goal, but to accomplish this without compromising the 6th key issue of sustainability – protection and restauration of biodiversity.
OUR SUSTAINABILITY POLICY IN PRACTICE
We will comply with all applicable laws and regulations and strive to not only comply but exceed these requirements where feasible.
We will assess and manage the environmental risks and impacts of our operations and take proactive measures to stimulate biodiversity as part of our project development strategy.
We will promote energy efficiency and conservation in all aspects of our business, including our day-to-day operations because we believe commitment starts with small actions every day reflect our commitment to the environment.
We will seek to use renewable energy sources and reduce our dependence on non-renewable energy sources.
We will engage with stakeholders, including customers, employees, suppliers, and local communities, to identify and address concerns and incorporate feedback into our operations in every project we develop through our risk assessment framework.
We will incorporate sustainability criteria into our screening and decision-making processes as well as into the design, development, and operation of our projects.
We will promote environmental awareness and sustainability education among our employees, customers, and other stakeholders.
We will communicate our sustainability policy, commitments, and performance to stakeholders as well as encourage our partners and suppliers to adopt similar sustainable policies and practices.
Our commitment towards human rights and towards the environment is an integral part of our commitment to sustainability and of our business model. We will continue to review and improve our policies and practices to ensure that we are creating a positive impact in the communities where we operate and give back more than we take every step of the way. As part of that commitment we incorporate a yearly sustainability performance evaluation, including the identification of areas for improvement and the establishment of objectives and targets.
Esben K. Christensen
Esben Kumke Christensen