Article - The Independent
Denmark’s beloved island where sustainability comes as standard
Bornholm is Europe’s most sustainable island
In April 2020, the EU named the island Bornholm Europe’s most sustainable energy island, which also has the most ambitious and sustainable energy development. The price recognizes that Bornholm already began to end the use of coal and oil at an early stage. It also honours that the island has established sustainable energy sources, such as photovoltaic cells, windmills, and biomass, despite limited available economic resources. The price furthermore acknowledges the fact that Bornholm has invested in long-distance heating and other innovative technologies. All this resulted in an efficient and reduced use of energy and large cuts in CO2 emissions.
Bright Green Island: What makes Bornholm a green and sustainable island?
For many years, Bornholm has been a front runner in Denmark regarding green solutions. Professionals from all over the world travel to the green island in the middle of the Baltic Sea to see and hear about the → Bright Green Island strategy, which among other things, consists of testing small versions of prototypes of smart and sustainable energy solutions. One of the newest actions was by the local waste incineration plant BOFA – they announced that → all waste on the island is going to be recycled within a few years.
How do you get a sustainable holiday on Bornholm – and how can you participate in getting one?
There is no need to feel guilty when you choose Bornholm as your holiday destination. Travel to Bornholm all year by bus, train and ferry. If you decide to travel by plane, the Danish airline → DAT plants trees as 110% compensation for their CO2-discharge. The fast ferries of Bornholmslinjen use shore power facilities at the harbour in Rønne during longer stay-overs.
What can I do to get a sustainable holiday?
You can choose accommodation that focuses on green solutions and also buy local and high-quality groceries and foods.
Sustainable food consists of ecological and local ingredients.
Buying ecological and local foods is also sustainable. Inspired by the new Nordic Food Culture, several restaurants and eateries on Bornholm only serve local and ecological ingredients and food from producers on the island – where quality is equal with nature, animal welfare and climate awareness.
Green Restaurants and hotels on Bornholm
Being a Green Restaurant means that the hotels and restaurants meet special environmental requirements concerning the building and food preparation. A Green Restaurant certification makes it easier for you to find sustainable eateries. A number of hotels and restaurants on Bornholm are certified as green restaurants. You can find them here.
Shopping can be sustainable
Do you like shopping? On Bornholm, you have a uniquely rich selection of local arts and crafts, clothes and textiles, foods, wooden hand art, furniture etc. Often you can visit the place where things get made and meet the producers and see how high-quality products are produced.
Sustainable Bottom Line Bornholm
One of the front runners within green tourism buildings is → Hotel GSH in Rønne. The hotel with its focus on sustainable holistic solutions is a role model in Europe. Also, Guesthouses, hostels and camping sites on Bornholm do something in particular in order to be able to offer sustainable accommodation, for instance within the project → Bæredygtig Bundlinje Bornholm.
Green holiday and green accommodation
Here you'll find a sustainable accommodation on Bornholm
Local ingredients and sustainable food
Buy your foods at these Bornholm food producers
What else can I do?
You can do several other things for your holiday on Bornholm to become sustainable.
Rent an electric car on Bornholm …
There are several places where you can rent an electric car. And since 2020 there are have been added additional charging facilities. Several actions within the Bright Green Island strategy also help on the tourists’ climate footprint, as the increasing harvest of renewable energy.
… or park your car and use a bicycle or bus
The island’s size combined with the good bus connections, bike and hiking trails makes it easy for you to park your car and reduce your CO2 emissions. Instead of a car ride, you can discover beautiful nature on a hike, a bicycle tour or something else.
This also counts as a sustainable holiday
Activities on Bornholm are – besides the historic sites – typically related to nature, cultural experiences and outdoor sports. Therefore a vacation on Bornholm counts better on the green bill, than a vacation in a large city or in a holiday resort.
5 quick facts on why Bornholm is a green and sustainable island:
• Under normal circumstances → all energy on Bornholm is produced on sun, wind and biomass – and therefore CO2 neutral
• On Bornholm you have installed three times more solar cell power per inhabitant, than in the rest of the country
• In 2018, half of the Bornholm households were connected to long-distance heating based on wood chips and straw
• Bornholm has the best and most tasty drinking water in Denmark → see more here (in Danish)
• Bornholm will be unfossiliferous by 2040. Bornholms Regionskommune (the island’s municipality) just has agreed on a new energy policy and a strategy on how to reach that goal → see more here (in Danish).
Active and sustainable holiday
Experience Bornholms nature - see all the possibilities here.
Here you can charge your electric car
Public charging stations for electric cars on Bornholm
Service buildings on Bornholm: Here you can charge your electric bike
Part of the Bright Green Island strategy
Bornholm will be a place where all waste is reused
