Photo: Julia Koblitz on Unsplash
ACCTING aims to understand the impact of Green Deal policies on vulnerable groups, prevent inequalities, and produce knowledge and innovations to advance behavioural change at individual and collective levels for an inclusive and equal European Green Deal. This bottom-up initiative was collected by Lucia di Paola and Daniel Botha within ACCTING’s mapping of inspiring practice cases, within the Clean Energy Research Line. Read our report on all 693 mapped initiatives.
Måbjerg BioEnergy, Denmark
An innovative project tackling agriculture challenges
Måbjerg BioEnergy is a project situated in Måbjerg, an area on the outskirts of Holstebro town in Western Denmark – one of Denmark’s most important agricultural areas.
The project was a solution to environmental problems arising from the agricultural sector. While this is a significant part of the local economy, concerns emerged about the consequences of run-off from local animal production. The resultant manure is typically spread onto fields in the area, but this was found to release worrying amounts of nitrogen, seeping into the fields in question, with negative environmental impacts in the form of water eutrophication in local wetlands. With these wetlands being newly designated as habitat areas by the EU, the local agricultural industry was forced to change its practices.
Plans for a better future
In response to this, a group of local farmers, worked with larger institutional stakeholders to initiate the development of a biogas plant. This allows the manure in question to be converted into biogases (primary methane) used to produce heat and electricity. The by-products from this process are also harvested and used as fertilizer and fuel for further energy production. At the time of completion (2012), the biogas plant was the largest in the world, with a capacity of handling 560,000 tons of biomass annually and producing 18.4 million cubic meters of biogas.
The vulnerable target group for this initiative was local animal farmers – an example of workers in carbon-intensive industries who, faced with new environmental regulations, find their source of employment placed under threat.
More inspiring initiatives
ACCTING Narrative: Economic struggles and access to sustainable food
The impact of climate change and the capacity to mitigate its negative Read More
ACCTING Narrative: A new kind of mobility in Portugal
Daily bike trains to school were the triggering event to develop a new Read More
ACCTING Narrative: An educator with two children fights for a change of values
The impact of climate change and the capacity to mitigate its negative Read More
ACCTING Narrative: Challenges linked to mobility for a single mother of three
Mobility options for a single mother with three children. Read More
ACCTING Narrative: Considerations on eating patterns and sustainability
The impact of climate change and the capacity to mitigate its negative Read More
ACCTING Narrative: When the energy crisis leads to a change of business model
In Belgium, the energy crisis leads to a change of business model. Read More
ACCTING Narrative: A micro-enterprise pursuing energy saving and recycling
The impact of climate change and the capacity to mitigate its negative Read More
ACCTING Narrative: There cannot be a better place for me to live than here
Luigi, Italy, lives independently in an energy community. Read More
ACCTING Narrative: For clearer, more efficient community energy schemes
Sonia, Norway, advocates for clearer, more efficient community energy ... Read More
ACCTING Narrative: Self-reliance and connecting with nature
Tünde, 62, Hungary, on self-reliance and connecting with nature. Read More
