Martin Hansen, Danske Shoppingcentre: “CO₂ reduction starts with a common starting point”

CO2 reduction is high on the agenda in the real estate industry. But before we talk goals and means, we need to ask a more fundamental question: what exactly are we reducing from?

This was pointed out by Martin Hansen from Danske Shoppingcentre during proprty.ai's CO₂ breakfast earlier this autumn, where experts and practitioners shared experiences on how data can be used to create realistic and commercially grounded climate targets.

“Before we can set realistic CO2 targets, we need to know the starting point. And when we act, it has to make sense for both the climate, investors and tenants,” Martin Hansen said during the event.

A clear starting point before the big ambitions

According to Martin Hansen, CO₂ reduction often becomes a matter of ambition and percentages, for example “we need to reduce by 30%, 50% or be climate neutral by 2040". But without a common starting point, you run the risk of shooting with spreading hail.

The first step is to understand the current performance: how much do buildings actually produce today? Which parts of the portfolio draw the most and where is the potential greatest? It requires data, systematics and transparency.

CO₂ must make sense for both climate and business

Once the baseline is in place, the next step is to prioritize the right actions. All initiatives cost, but not all produce the same effect.

For a property investor, building owner or developer such as Danske Shoppingcentre, the reductions must both strengthen the value of the property, reduce operating costs for tenants and be documented in dialogue with banks and investors.

“It's about choosing the levers where investment, business logic and climate impact meet. It can be smarter management of operations, targeted energy projects in the most stressful buildings or planned replacements where CO₂ is factored into maintenance,” explained Martin Hansen.

From ambition to action

Martin Hansen highlighted four practical advice for organisations that want to translate CO₂ ambitions into concrete action:

Get your stakeholders involved in baseline years. A common understanding of the starting point makes it possible to measure progress.

Find a way to make the investment profitable. This can be about optimizing cooperation between tenant and landlord, so that investments in energy efficiency and CO₂ reduction provide value for both parties — both through lower energy consumption and more attractive, future-proof properties.

Be pragmatic and talk openly about uncertainties. The most important thing is to act and communicate clearly about how you deal with the uncertainties.

Measure results systematically against baseline. Be consistent in methods and documentation so that development is credible and measurable.

Realism and direction

According to Martin Hansen, CO₂ reduction requires not only ambition, but also direction, realism and action. When we know where we stand and act wisely from there, the green transition can become both measurable, responsible and financially sound.