As on the first day, the meeting point on the final day of our study week was the statue of Frederik VII at Christiansborg Slotsplads. From there, we walked together to the Danish Ministry of Finance, where we received a presentation on the ministry’s climate work and the initiatives of the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action. The visit once again opened up an important perspective on the green transition. The central question was how climate policy can be integrated into budget processes, investment decisions and economic governance. One important point of reference was the Green Policy Centre of the Danish Ministry of Finance. It connects fiscal policy responsibilities with issues of national and international climate and environmental policy.
In addition, the international dimension became visible through the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action. This initiative brings together finance ministries from more than 100 countries and aims to integrate climate action more strongly into fiscal policy, budget planning, public investment and economic governance. The Helsinki Principles serve as a common framework. They include, among other things, alignment with the goals of the Paris Agreement, the consideration of climate risks in financial planning and budgeting, effective carbon pricing and the mobilization of private climate finance. Analytical instruments such as the GreenREFORM model were also addressed. Such models help to better assess the economic, environmental and societal impacts of policy measures. This analytical perspective showed that the green transition is not only about political goals, but also about their financing, governance and practical implementation.
At midday, the study week officially came to an end and our return journey to Switzerland began. Looking back, the week in Copenhagen was particularly educational and varied. From political institutions, European environmental policy and digitalization to urban climate governance, international development cooperation and fiscal questions of the green transition, we gained many different insights. With many professional inputs and new perspectives, we made our way back to Switzerland. Alongside the academic impressions, a piece of Danish everyday culture also remained with us: « hygge », that feeling of calm, conscious togetherness and small moments.