1. October 2024

Sweco launches The Planetary Project: An interdisciplinary innovation project on the future layout of the area of Denmark

Through the Planetary Project, Sweco will explore possible scenarios for organizing Denmark’s area to create a society that is in accordance with the planetary boundaries.

Sweco has appointed 35 different specialists to be part of the Planetary Project’s task force. They will examine a completely sustainable use of Denmark’s area by focusing on the man-made patterns in the landscape. Sweco also incorporates knowledge from relevant experts from research environments and civil society with the aim of creating scenarios for a society that aligns with the nine planetary boundaries, six of which have already been exceeded.

Denmark as a lab

The Planetary Project directly engages with the current discussion on the use of Denmark’s area and landscape, which is facing a major transformation because of the Green Tripartite Agreement and the plans to establish 32 energy parks in Denmark.

“Denmark is the obvious case, as we are the country in EU with the most cultivated land and the least untouched nature. Over the past hundred years in particular, we humans have created undesirable mutations of the landscape. Consequently, we have set out to explore what needs to be done to redesign Denmark’s area so that our society operates within the planetary boundaries,” says Karl-Martin Buch Frederiksen, Innovation Director, and Head of the Planetary Project at Sweco.

Planetary pixels

The method behind the Planetary Project is to examine which man-made patterns the area of the Earth consist of, what effects these have on the ecosystem of the Earth, and how we create interdisciplinary visions for a society in accordance with the planetary boundaries. In the first phase of the project, the task force and relevant societal actors will examine and discuss central planetary pixels as agriculture, infrastructure, coasts, suburban residential areas, and industry.

“Planetary pixels are patterns on the surface of the earth that can be more or less affected by human activity. The Planetary Project focuses on researching and understanding the man-made patterns in the landscape. For this, our extremely knowledgeable task force needs to use a cross-disciplinary and innovative approach in collaboration with relevant, external experts,” Karl-Martin Buch Frederiksen explains.

Planet Earth as a client

There is no developer paying for the consultancy behind the Planetary Project. Instead, Sweco has chosen planet Earth to be the client for this innovation project.

“We see the planet as our client, and this changes the premises of our solutions. This forces us to think outside the box and look beyond the conventional considerations. But this in turn means that we must muster the utmost humility and respect for the enormous challenge we have set ourselves: to develop scenarios for how we utilise our area to move towards a sustainable future,” says Dariush Rezai, CEO, Sweco Danmark.

About the Planetary Project

The Planetary Project is an interdisciplinary project with the objective of examining and developing comprehensive scenarios for Denmark’s future society. Sweco is making accessible a Planetary Task force, consisting of 35 experts, including biologists, sustainability specialists, geologists, sociologists, ecologists, lawyers, architects, engineers, landscape architects, planners, and economists. The Planetary Project is a Sweco driven innovation project that is to inspire the future and long-term development of Denmark. The Planetary Task force is the driving force, but the project also incorporates knowledge and engages in dialogue with experts, researchers, and other relevant societal actors who wish to contribute to solving planetary challenges through collaboration and mutual curiosity.