The Climate Movement v. Ministry of Transportation

In October 22, 2021, Klimabevægelsen (the Climate Movement, a Danish NGO) filed a suit against the Danish Ministry of Transportation, challenging the project to construct an artificial peninsula in Copenhagen Harbor. The claim was filed after the Danish Parliament passed the bill on the construction of the artificial peninsula, also known as ‘Lynetteholmen’, in June of 2021. In addition to housing approximately 35.000 people, and adding many jobs, the Ministry argues that the peninsula constitutes an adaptation measure and will contribute to safeguard the city of Copenhagen against climate change-related sea-level rise. The claimants highlight the fact that the project is not in accordance with Danish and European climate neutrality targets, as it does not account for the peninsula’s impact on greenhouse gas emissions and the environment in general. The claimants allege that the Ministry of Transportation has (i) not complied with the EIA Directive by failing to conduct an EIA for the collected project and instead splitting it into sub-projects (so-called salami slicing), and (ii) not complied with the SEA Directive by failing to conduct an SEA.