Concito - Danmarks grønne tænketank

About Concito

September 1, 2008, Denmark's first green think tank, CONCITO - which means "to put in motion" in Latin - was established. CONCITO's purpose is to contribute to minimizing greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the harmful effects of global warming.

CONCITO recognises that Denmark and the rest of the world face dramatic changes. Our current growth and prosperity has been based on fossil fuels and future generations' welfare must be ensured without.

CONCITO aims to analyse and disseminate how this transition can be done best and cheapest in Denmark and in other parts of the world. CONCITO has as a starting point that climate change objectives can only be achieved through a new partnership between politicians, businesses and citizens, i.e. state, market and civil society. The changes we face are too large for one sector to drive the development alone.

CONCITO believes the climate issues must be resolved internationally, but that Denmark can benefit by being a first-mover. There are enormous political, business and economic potentials in being among the world leaders.

CONCITO will provide analyses, based on research and practice at home and abroad which can be translated into direct action in politics, business and the responsibilities of every Danish citizen. CONCITO will work to make climate issues and their solutions known in the wider public through determined PR and communications.

There are already a large number of networks and organizations working with climate change. All these players deliver significant contributions to solving the climate issues. However, CONCITO's objectives and methodology differs from the existing initiatives:

- CONCITO is the first green think-tank in Denmark entirely independent of political and commercial interests.

- CONCITO will be the first operator to bring together state, market and civil society in a new partnership.

- CONCITO has concrete action and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions as a goal. Many existing initiatives aim to either promote Danish businesses in relation to or influence the process leading to COP 15 in 2009. CONCITO will focus on how we actually meet the defined objectives after 2009, whatever the outcome of the Copenhagen Summit may be.

Organisation of CONCITO

CONCITO is a think tank. The core of the think tank is the Council members who develop new projects and follow them through analysis and dissemination. Currently, 80 members including some of Denmark’s largest business corporations, all the major NGOs and an array of outstanding scientists from the national universities have signed up as members.

Thus, CONCITO represents the key players in setting a new agenda and poses the ability to challenge and qualify the decision making process in government and parliament.

Projects are financed by independent foundations ensuring no financial links between Council members and the think tank. The price of membership of the Council is DKK 100,000 for businesses and organisations with more than one billion DKK in annual turnover and subsequent DKK 10,000 a year. For smaller businesses and organisations the price is respectively DKK 10,000 the first year and DKK 1,000 in subsequent years. For individuals, the price is DKK 1,000 the first year and DKK 100 in subsequent years.

The Executive Board holds as members the Danish Assurance Association, Rockwool A/S, the Danish Consumer Council, Ms. Susanne Krawack (Trekantområdet), Mr. Kim Carstensen (Director WWF Global Climate Initiative) and former Danish MP Martin Lidegaard (President).

CONCITO employs a small, but efficient secretariat headed by a managing director.