KR Foundation in Denmark

Global efforts are key in addressing the climate crisis. That is why KR Foundation is funding international high-impact projects focusing on the root causes of climate change. However, as one of the richest and most GHG emitting countries in the world measured per capita, Denmark can and should play an important role in driving the needed change towards a thriving, low-carbon world.

In 2020 the Danish government, supported broadly by the Parliament, businesses, civil society, and citizens, adopted an ambition to reduce GHG emissions by 70 pct. by 2030 as Denmark’s fair contribution to achieving global decarbonization goals. This is one of the most ambitious climate goals in the world and it requires a massive collective effort that involves all parts of the Danish society. To support this effort KR Foundation, VELUX FOUNDATION and VILLUM FOUNDATION launched the 70by30 project in 2021, which allocated DKK 320m in support of the realisation of the Danish climate goal.

KR Foundation continues to support Danish civil society, primarily by funding projects that aim to increase public support and engagement in the green transformation and advance new economic thinking. We collaborate with other Danish foundations in support of these agendas to help accelerate ambitious climate action.

KR Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

New economic thinking

According to The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) there is a need for a fundamental transformation of our economies to prevent climate collapse. It is well-known that economic activity is highly correlated with energy consumption and natural resource use, and to maintain current levels of economic growth while decoupling it from GHG emissions and ecological impacts would require development and implementation of new technologies at an unprecedented scale. In the likely absence of such innovations, there is no other solution to the climate crisis than to change current production and consumption patterns, especially in high-income countries.  To enable this, we must rethink the current economic system, including its theoretical and methodological underpinnings, to create an economy that works for both the planet and all people.

KR Foundation supports a range of different projects that seek to challenge the current economic paradigm and provide visions for and pathways towards a new one. One of the organisations doing this is Copenhagen Doughnut. They work to translate and implement the popular “Doughnut Economics” model in a Danish context.

Read about more projects within the Transition to a sustainable economic paradigm here.

Increasing public engagement

Engaging the public on issues related to climate change is key to creating the necessary changes to drastically reduce GHG emissions. KR Foundation frequently works with other foundations to support a wide range of initiatives that aim to foster a healthy, constructive, and science-based public debate about the dire consequences of climate change and the solutions that are required to mitigate them.

In 2022, we partnered with Tuborg Fondet and VELUX FONDEN to support Climate Movement Denmark in their efforts to mobilize and educate the public on important climate issues. Climate Movement Denmark is an umbrella organisation for a diverse range of climate organisations (The Green Youth Movement, Grandparents for Climate Action, FridaysForFuture and more) all working to accelerate ambitious climate action.

For more Danish and international projects on climate communications and public engagement click here.