The green transition is a team effort

 Governments cannot do it alone, nor can businesses, researchers or investors.

From Kirstine Vangkilde Berner

The green transition is one of the defining challenges of our time. We know where we need to go. The more difficult question is how we get there, and how to do it fast enough.

Denmark has decades of experience in turning climate ambitions into policies, technologies and business solutions. And we have learnt one thing: governments cannot do it alone. Neither can businesses, researchers or investors. Real progress happens when we bring all players together.

This key question was at the heart of our recent Green Denmark Day in Kuala Lumpur, bringing together around 200 decision-makers, business leaders, experts and investors from Denmark and Malaysia to discuss challenges and possible solutions around green transition, healthy urban living and the future-proofing of food supply.

Across six panel discussions, we explored everything from the energy and water demands of data centres to circular waste systems, healthier cities, preventive healthcare, food security and the potential to turn agricultural side streams into valuable new resources.

These may sound like different conversations. In reality, they are deeply connected.

A growing digital economy creates new demands for energy and water. The way we design cities affects emissions, public health and climate resilience.

Food production depends on water, energy, land and healthy ecosystems. Waste from one industry may become energy, feedstock or raw material for another.

This is why the green transition requires whole-of-society and whole-of-government perspectives. Public-private partnerships are a must.

Collaboration across traditional boundaries has been an important part of Denmark’s own green journey.

Public authorities provide long-term direction and enabling frameworks. Companies develop and deploy solutions. Researchers generate knowledge. Investors help turn ideas into infrastructure.

And there is considerable potential to expand the collaboration on the green transition between Denmark and Malaysia.

Malaysia brings a diversified industrial base, growing digital infrastructure, significant agricultural resources, a dynamic private sector and a strategic position at the heart of Southeast Asia.

Denmark brings experience in renewable energy, energy efficiency, water, sustainable urban development, food, bio-solutions and the circular economy. The potential lies in combining these strengths and creating opportunities for deeper projects, investments and long-term commercial cooperation.

That is precisely why we established the Green Transition Alliance. Alliance brings together the Danish embassy in Malaysia and six Danish companies with capabilities relevant to Malaysia’s green transition: Carlsberg Malaysia, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Novonesis, Novo, Ramboll and Rockwool Malaysia.

Together, the expertise of the companies spans from energy-efficient buildings, industrial decarbonisation, preventive health, bio-solutions, food and agricultural resource efficiency to sustainable cities, infrastructure, renewable energy and investment.

Green Denmark Day opened that ecosystem further by bringing Alliance members together with Malaysian companies, policymakers, researchers, industry associations, investors and other knowledge partners.

The conversations demonstrated why collaboration needs to start with the problem seen from a local context rather than the technology.

Consider data centres. Denmark has successfully captured surplus heat from data centres and used it to heat homes. It is an elegant solution in a cold country.

In tropical Malaysia, there is understandably little demand for district heating. The interesting question is what the Malaysian equivalent might be.

Take waste. Recycling, waste-to-energy, bioenergy and circular design are often presented as competing pathways. But different waste streams require different solutions. The opportunity is to build a system where those solutions complement each other.

Or food. Malaysia is rich in agricultural resources, yet valuable side streams remain underutilised while some inputs are imported.

Fermentation, enzymes and other bio-solutions could create more value from resources already available locally. But technical possibility is not enough. Solutions need consistency, scale and competitive economics.

Healthy cities tell a similar story. Healthcare does not begin at the hospital. It is also shaped by food, buildings, streets, air quality and whether our cities make healthier choices easier for citizens.

No single ministry, company or technology owns these challenges.

Green solutions will scale fastest when sustainability and competitiveness point in the same direction.

Energy efficiency can reduce operating costs. Agricultural side streams can become valuable products. Better-planned cities can become healthier and more attractive places to live and invest. Renewable energy and resilient infrastructure can strengthen energy security.

The green transition should not only be about what we reduce. It should also be about what we create: new industries, capabilities, investments, jobs and partnerships.

Green Denmark Day showed what this can look like. Be honest about what works and what does not. Challenge assumptions. Adapt experience to local realities. Most importantly, leave with a concrete next step.

The Green Transition Alliance is intended to help create more of those next steps.

Because the opportunity before Denmark and Malaysia is not simply to exchange knowledge about the green transition. It is to build it together. - FMT

Kirstine Vangkilde Berner is the Danish ambassador to Malaysia.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.