New measures to reduce Nordstern's greenhouse gas emissions

In Denmark, the construction industry accounts for 30% of annual greenhouse gas emissions. The production of materials, construction processes and the operation of buildings contribute significantly to these emissions. As a contractor, Nordstern wants to make a difference and is therefore constantly looking for new ways to reduce these greenhouse gas emissions throughout the value chain.

Science goals to strengthen efforts

Nordstern is proud that the ongoing efforts are now supplemented with an approved science target by Science Based Targets. Objectives which must contribute to limiting global warming to 1.5°C above the pre-industrial levels, as set out in the Paris Agreement.

"Our industry has a major responsibility to keep global warming below 1.5°C by 2050. It therefore also requires that players like Nordstern have an ambitious approach to sustainability through strategic and purposeful work with our impact on the climate right down to the detail of the individual project", says Torben Modvig, Group CEO of Nordstern.

To meet this target, Nordstern has committed to reducing greenhouse gases in scope 1 and 2 by 42% by 2030 compared to the company's emissions in 2021. Nordstern will also measure and reduce scope 3 emissions so that scope 1, 2 and 3 together reduce the company's emissions by 90% by 2050 compared to Nordstern's emissions in 2021.

By working with the entire value chain of the projects, Nordstern hopes that the projects in the future will not only meet today's standards, but also actively contribute to defining them for the future.

Focus on sustainability in projects

Nordstern's and the client's focus on sustainability is reflected in projects such as Svanemølleholm, which is being built in Nordhavn, Copenhagen. This office domicile must be both DGNB Platinum certified and follow the EU taxonomy.

Svanemølleholm is just one of several projects that Nordstern is constructing that not only achieves DGNB certification in Platinum or Gold, but also meets the EU taxonomy's minimum requirements for environmental and social responsibility.

"A good collaboration with consultants and the client is one of the most important tools for projects like Svanemølleholm. We support each other in the process and make ambitious choices that minimize the construction’s negative environmental impact," says Torben Modvig, Group CEO of Nordstern.

To make an active effort, Nordstern has since 2023 set a target for 100% of all office and residential buildings to be certified according to current standards such as DGNB or the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. This is supplemented by a target that 70 to 100% of Nordstern's turnover must comply with the EU taxonomy by 2030.