New York and Danish businesses collaborate on decarbonising high-rise buildings

The partnership will support knowledge sharing and investment from Denmark to New York and focus on the complex challenges of completing energy efficiency and electrification upgrades in high-rise buildings in New York State

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI) have agreed to collaborate on decarbonising high-rise buildings in New York State.

They have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the strategic partnership, with a focus primarily on NYSERDA’s $50 million (£35m) Empire Building Challenge, which is expected to leverage more than $250 million (£176m) in private investment in building upgrades, testing and technology.

Through the challenge, NYSERDA is establishing partnerships with commercial and multi-family real estate portfolio owners and occupants with buildings located in New York State that make a commitment to bringing one or more buildings in their portfolio to carbon neutrality by 2035.

The partnership will support knowledge sharing and investment from Denmark to New York and strengthens NYSERDA’s ability to learn from Denmark’s robust industry of building decarbonisation solution providers, represented by DI.

The MOU focuses on the complex challenges of completing energy efficiency and electrification upgrades in high-rise buildings.

Lars Sandahl Sørensen, Chief Executive Officer, Confederation of Danish Industry, said: “NYSERDA, the Confederation of Danish Industry and Danish Cleantech Hub in New York have enjoyed a long standing collaboration and we are very excited to venture on a new large scale project that will transform New York into a more sustainable city. For decades, Danish companies have developed energy efficiency in buildings and we know, that with today’s technologies, it is possible to reduce energy consumption by at least 50%.

“The new agreement commits us to work together more closely towards a common goal of accelerating the green transition and I am confident that through our joint efforts we will be able to achieve more and continue to develop even stronger relationships between New York and Denmark.”

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