Copenhagen's green image: The cost of living up to it

Morning traffic in Copenhagen does not sound like traffic at all. Instead of engines there is the soft clicking of bicycle gears and the ringing of bells as hundreds of cyclists move through the city’s wide bike lanes. 

In supermarkets, shelves are filled with organic products and Cafés advertise plant-based menus. At first glance, sustainable living appears not only possible here, but easy. 

"In Denmark, and especially in Copenhagen, we like to see ourselves as green frontrunners. It’s something we attach to our identity", says Felics Pedersen, a climate activist based in the city. 

Different research

Research from the University of Copenhagen shows that many Danes want to eat more climate-friendly foods but face social and practical barriers in their everyday lives. 

Studies on food consumption and climate behavior point to how routines, habits and social networks make it difficult to change what people eat, even when they want to. 

The research suggests that green lifestyles involve more than personal willingness. They also depend on social and practical conditions in everyday life. 

"I talk to many people who feel guilty. They feel they should be doing more, consuming less, or living a greener lifestyle. It’s not so much that they want to buy different things, but that they feel their overall lifestyle is polluting", says Pedersen. 

That sense of guilt, he explains, is part of a broader moral pressure tied to Copenhagen’s green reputation. When a city becomes known for sustainable living, the responsibility to live up to that image can feel personal. 

Global challenge

The challenge is not unique to Denmark. Across Europe, cities are introducing climate measures; green taxes and incentives meant to encourage sustainable living. But as the green transition accelerates, so does the debate about who is actually able to participate in it.

"In many cases, the green choice is simply the most expensive one. So it has become a kind of luxury. There is definitely a class and income element to this", Pedersen explains. 

The divide is not always dramatic, but it is visible in small, everyday decisions. In Danish supermarkets, a can of beans can cost the same as cheaper meat products. 

According to research from the University of Copenhagen, food is one of the areas where people technically have the possibility to change without large expenses. Yet cultural habits, family traditions, and social expectations often make this shift difficult in practice. 

"Food is something most people could change without it being about income. But it has a lot to do with culture and identity", Pedersen thinks. 

Other choices are more clearly shaped by finances. 

"A very obvious example is transport. Electric cars are still much more expensive than fossil fueled cars. That’s a clear example of something that splits socially", according to Pedersen. 

A role model

Copenhagen shows what a greener city can look like. The bike lanes are full, the cafés are busy, and sustainable choices are visible everywhere. But visibility does not necessarily mean accessibility.

"The conversation about green choices often becomes about what individuals buy and consume, but many of the biggest changes we need are political and structural. We try not to shame people into consuming differently, because the responsibility cannot only be placed on individuals", Pedersen expresses. 

For Pedersen, focusing too much on personal consumption risks overlooking the larger systems that shape those choices in the first place.

The question is whether the green life on display is within reach for all, or mainly for those who can afford it. 

 This story is suitable for publication in Le Monde, particularly in the section covering society, environment, and social inequality.