Climate Thursdays are held in collaboration with leading researchers from the University of Southern Denmark and several other universities e.g. University of Copenhagen and Roskilde University, experts from the Danish Council on Climate Change as well as companies, think tanks, institutions and organisations.
This high-profile symposia series focuses on the state of our climate and on the technical, behavioural, financial and political solutions and actions taken to meet the current climate challenges.
Climate Thursdays kick off on 4 September 2025 and continue the following Thursdays until mid-November.
Below you can see the dates, themes and speakers of the individual seminars. All the webinars will be recorded and placed under the tab of the respective date immediately after each seminar. We reserve the right to make alterations to the programme.
We look forward to seeing you at the Climate Thursdays.
Henrik Wenzel & Sebastian Mernild
Introduction, climate status and future perspectives
08.00-08.10
Henrik Wenzel is a professor at the Center for Life Cycle Engineering, Department of Green Technology, University of Southern Denmark. His research focuses on environmental system analysis and system design aiming at optimizing large infrastructure systems such as energy systems and waste management systems in a holistic perspective. He has studied a largevariety of alternative fuels for future transport including both biofuels and so-called electrofuels made from CO2 and hydrogen and has worked in close collaboration with key partners in aviation and shipping.
Sebastian Mernild, Professor and Head of SDU Climate Cluster.
Sebastian Mernild, Professor in Climate Change and Glaciology at SDU, PhD and Dr. Scient. Author on the IPCC AR6 and AR5 WorkingJ Group 1 Climate Report. He has worked in the US for seven years at the International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and three years as senior research scientist/research leader at Centro de Estudios Científicos in Chile. Further, he has worked in Norway as full professor in Climate Change and Glaciology and as Director of the Nansen Center in Bergen.
Henrik and Sebastian will give an introduction to the symposia series idea and plan.
08.10-08.30
Sebastian Mernild will present the state of the climate and the expected future development.
08.30-09.00
Jens Hesselbjerg Christensen, Professor, Physics of Ice, Climate and Earth, the Niels Bohr Institute, the University of Copenhagen.
Jens researches anthropogenic climate change and, as former head of research at the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI), has for a number of years led national and international initiatives aimed at providing relevant and robust climate informatin on a regional scale. He has helped put climate change in Denmark on the political agenda as a long-standing member of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) where he has been the lead author of several of the panel's major reports.
Jens will give a lecture on the Extreme events, human impact and consequences.
Impacts on the planet
08.00-08.30
TBD will give a lecture on Sea level and ice
08.30-09.00
Martin Stendel, Senior Researcer, NCKF, Danish Meteorological Institute
Martin holds MSc and PhD degrees in Meteorology. He has been a contributing author for several IPCC reports. He is an Associate Professor and Lecturer on Climate Change, the National Space Institute, the Technical University of Denmark. During the period 2009-2014, he was affiliated to the Greenlandic Climate Research Centre, Nuuk.
Martin will give the lecture From past weather to future climate - logbooks and climate change
Impacts on society/humans
08.00-08.30
Morten Skovsgaard, Professor WSR at the Centre for Journalism, University of Southern Denmark. Morten is educated and has worked as a journalist, and now he conducts research on journalism and its effects, including the effects of climate journalism.
Morten will give the lecture Can Climate Journalism Motivate Behavioural Changes?
08.30-09.00
Henrik Wenzel is a professor at the Center for Life Cycle Engineering, Department of Green Technology at the University of Southern Denmark. His research focuses on environmental system analysis and system design aiming at optimizing large infrastructure systems such as energy systems and waste management systems in a holistic perspective. He has studied a large variety of alternative fuels for future transport including both biofuels and so-called electrofuels made from CO2 and hydrogen and has worked in close collaboration with key partners in aviation and shipping.
Henrik will give a lecture on Circular Economy
Solution to climate change: The energy system transition
08.00-08.30
Tobias Johan Sørensen is a Senior Analyst at CONCITO focusing on how to appropriately implement CO2 capture and storage (CCS) and negative emissions in Danish and European climate policy. In addition, he works on climate-friendly public procurement, improved waste management and the transition to a more resource efficient and circular economy.
Tobias will give a lecture on CCU vs CCS.
08.30-09.00
Tobias Pape Thomsen (TPT) is an Associate Professor at Roskilde University (RUC) in the Department of People and Technology. TPT has worked at RUC for the last 6 years and has a background as chemical engineer from the Technical University of Denmark, department of Chemical Engineering. TPT is leading the research group Sustainability Transitions and Environmental Planning (TRANSITIONS) and work on development and deployment of technologies and systems to foster a more circular and more biobased economy. TPT is involved in several R&D projects on production and use of biochar and has worked with this topic for 15+ years.
Tobias will give a lecture on Systems for production and use of biochar - a circular climate solution>
Solutions to climate change: Carbon capture
08.00-08.30
Lars Bruun Sørensen, Head of CCX, Ørsted
Lars Bruun Sørensen, Head of CCX, Ørsted
Lars will give a lecture on Point source.
Esbern Hoch, Senior Business Developer, TotalEnergies
Esbern has 29 years of experience. He started a technical career as a geologist in Qatar followed by international project management in exploration, development and business. Returned to Denmark in 2024 to contribute to building the CCS industry for TotalEnergies.
Esbern will give a lecture on CCS as part of the solution to climate change with focus on engagement of TotalEnergies in CCS projects.
Solutions to climate change: Carbon capture and emission factors
08.00 - 08.30
Henrik Wenzel is a professor at the Center for Life Cycle Engineering, Department of Green Technology, University of Southern Denmark. His research focuses on environmental system analysis and system design aiming at optimizing large infrastructure systems such as energy systems and waste management systems in a holistic perspective. He has studied a large variety of alternative fuels for future transport including both biofuels and so-called electrofuels made from CO2 and hydrogen and has worked in close collaboration with key partners in aviation and shipping.
Henrik will give a lecture on Emission factors for green cement, steel and asphalt.
08.30 - 09.00
Martin Jeppesen, VP, Head of R&D and Biological Support, Nature Energy
Martin will give a lecture on E-metan.
Solutions to climate change: E-methanol, E-plastic
08.00 - 08.30
Søren Knudsen Kær is Director and Head of Technology, Power-to-X at European Energy. In this role, Søren developed the concept for e-methanol production currently being realized in the Kassø PtX project located in Aabenraa municipality, Denmark. Currently, his focus is the development and implementation of next generation technologies under European Energy’s Power-to-X technologies. Previously, Søren was a full professor at Aalborg University, Department of Energy, responsible for the research program on electro-fuels.
Søren will give a lecture on Green methanol.
Søren Kristiansen, Senior Director of Technology, Materials, Engineering and Quality, the LEGO Group
Creation of joy and creativity through materials - this has been a cornerstone since Søren Kristiansen joined the LEGO Group in 1988. Materials have been the focal point in the positions he has held within R&D, Quality, Procurement, product development and now sustainable materials. Being Senior Director of Technology, Søren sets the direction for R&D, material requirements and related technologies. The LEGO Group is family-owned and privately held.
Søren will give a lecture on E-plastic.
Solutions to climate change: The green transition
08.00 - 08.30
Kirsten Brøsbøll is the Chairperson of the Danish Climate Forest Fund since it’s establishment in 2021. She is the CEO & founder of 2030beyond, a do-tank for the 2030 Agenda, and a board member of the Arkaia Foundation. Kirsten is a former Member of Parliament of Denmark (2005-2019) and Minister of Environment (2014-2015), and she is an Obama Foundation Scholar, European Young Leader, and German Marshall Fellow.
Kirsten will give a lecture on the role of the forests in the climate transition and how the Climate Forest Fund contributes to the transition.
08.30 - 09.00
Gittan Schiöld is Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer at Re:meat.
Re:meat is enabling novel technology to cultivate sustainable and affordable meat. Engineer with a drive for sustainable innovation. Has 18 years of experience in leadership roles from food, beverage and packaging industry bridging R&D to commercialization. Loves to be involved in transformational projects and solving difficult problems by leveraging unconventional partnerships across the value chain.
Gittan will give a lecture on Agricultural transition - laboratory meat.
Barriers, drivers and implications: Economy
Jette Bredahl Jacobsen is professor in environmental and resource economics at the University of Copenhagen. She has been working with a variety of environmental topics, in particular, biodiversity and climate adaptation and mitigation. She is currently also vice chair of the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change.
Her presentation will be based on recent advice from the Advisory Board.
Jette will give a lecture on Incentivizing carbon dioxide removals.
08.30 - 09.00
Lars Gårn Hansen is Professor in Environmental and Resource Economics at the University of Copenhagen.
He has directed several research programs and published in Economics and interdisciplinary journals. His research, both in developed and developing countries, focuses on (i) climate change adaptation and mitigation in agriculture, (ii) cooperation and collective action, (iii) environmental regulation- including nitrogen use, fisheries, water and air pollution, and (iv) consumption behavior including food and electricity consumption. He has been a member of the chairmanship of the Danish economic counsels and chairman of the environmental economic counsel 2015-2025.
Lars will give a lecture on Carbon captura storage.
Barriers, drivers and implications: Politics
08.00 - 08.30
TBD
TBD will give a lecture on
08.30 - 09.00
Peter Mogensen is CEO of the think tank Kraka and the consultancy Kraka Economics. Furthermore, he is a member of the executive board of Maj Invest. He holds a degree in economics from Aarhus University and has a long and exciting professional background. In particular, his job as Head of the Secretariat in the Prime Minister's office from 1997-2000 has given Peter a unique insight into the execution of Danish politics at the top of government. As a close personale advisor to former Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen for three years - including being responsible for all press handling around the Prime Minister - Peter Mogensen is extremely well versed in the political battlefield.
Peter will give a lecture on Barriers, drivers and implications in a policy and economic perspective.
Panel debate
13.00 - 14.30
Peter Møllgaard is President at Copenhagen Business School and Chair of the Danish Council of Climate Change.
He holds an MSc degree in economics from the University of Copenhagen as well as MSc and PhD degrees from the European University Institute in Florence. He has previously worked as Dean at the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences at the University of Southern Denmark and as Professor, Head of Department and Dean of Research at Copenhagen Business School for 22 years. Before this, he was an Assistant Professor at the University of Aarhus, and he also has experience from the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economics and Business Affairs.
He is a member of several international advisory committees and boards, the Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative (The GRLI) and Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). His research focuses on the application of industrial organization on competition policy and regulation, often to energy markets.
Other panel members will be added.