The Climate Baton

The climate prize of Middelfart Municipality.

Every year, Middelfart Municipality awards the Climate Baton to a resident, a group, a company or a project that makes an extraordinary effort for the field of climate change.

Middelfart Municipality wishes to be at the forefront in the field of climate change. Both in terms of climate change prevention and in terms of adapting to the climate of the future.

The purpose of the Climate Baton is to focus on the field of climate change in Middelfart Municipality, including providing inspiration for preventive initiatives and raising the awareness of individuals, companies, organisations, associations and authorities of the importance of climate adaptation. The Climate Baton will help to create an interest in and understanding of the development and implementation of new innovative, concrete climate projects.

The Climate Baton is awarded to projects that link climate concerns with learning, business growth and/or urban development. Candidates for the Climate Baton must work on new solutions in the field of climate change and may, for example, be found amongst the various partnership projects that are being worked on in Middelfart Municipality. The projects must focus on creating value in a broad sense (socially, economically and in relation to sustainability).

Every year, the city council gives the prize to a climate project.

The prize consists of a diploma and the Baton itself, a CNC-milled oak tree in stainless steel standing on an oak block. The Climate Baton is manufactured at Middelfart Produktionsskole/Trade School in a collaboration between the metalwork and woodwork shops.

A tree is chosen because it symbolises life. It is trees that convert nitrogen into oxygen and are thus the lungs of the earth.

The stability of the tree depends on it having strong roots. We need to set roots and create a strong foundation that the next generation of climate protectors can build on.

The trunk of the tree is a solid base, on which new shoots (ideas) can grow strong and set new seeds for new trees that can become a part of the struggle for a sustainable society.

The assessment is made by a jury consisting of:

  • 2 city councillors
  • The winner of last year's Climate Baton
  • 1 representative from Middelfart Municipality business community
  • 1 resident (candidates are found via advertisement in the local paper/on the website)
  • 1 municipal employee

The winner of the Climate Baton 2023 for a company went to Sixtus Sinatur Hotel & Konference. Sixtus was honored for their work to reduce the Co2 footprint, efforts to work with local food producers, focus on serving organic food and their efforts to recycle a large part of their waste. In 2023, for example, over 80% of Sixtus' waste was collected and sent for recycling.

The winner of the Climate Baton 2023 for a project or association went to Brenderup Højskole for having created an international environment where students from all over the world meet the Danish højskole tradition and at the same time learn about climate, green transition and sustainable construction. Brenderup Højskole has for many years had climate as a starting point for the school's work. Climate is actively involved in the lessons and also forms the starting point for how students live and act at the school. This means, among other things, that students can learn to build straw houses, grow their own crops or learn more about how gardens can be planted and transformed into permaculture.

As Climate Fighter of the Year 2023 was Karla Arvad Meier honored. She was honored for her climate activities in the past years. She is passionate about the climate issue and is known in many places in Middelfart Municipality. To name just some of the activities that Karla is involved in: She is a climate ambassador at Rock under Broen (a local music festival), she is active in Middelfart Gymnasium and HF's Environmental Committee, Ungdomshuset Walker and Klimafolkemødet. Karla Arvad Meier focuses on climate and the environment in all the projects she is involved in. She does this with a smile, positive vibes and by leading the way and showing that a little can do a lot.

The winner of the Climate Baton 2022 for a project, company or association was awarded to Bælthaven Middelfart. Bælthaven Middelfart is an association run by volunteers. Bælthaven was honored for the association's work in spreading knowledge of maritime foods directly from the Little Belt. The association's members receive blue mussels from sea gardens in the Little Belt every week and in 2022 a total of 2,600 kg of mussels were distributed.

As Climate Fighter of the Year 2022 was Anders Bærholm Frikke honored. Anders was honored for his work in bringing climate, environment and sustainability into his daily work as a high school teacher at Middelfart high school, as well as for his association with the High School Teachers' Union, GL. With a wide network across the country, Anders works tirelessly to engage young people in the fight to influence politicians and the general public to take the climate issue seriously. The method for Anders is to accommodate the youth's activism without extinguishing their fire.

Middelfart Municipality's 2020 Climate Baton was awarded to the the project 'Sol over Brenderup'.

A project which frames and exemplifies the collaborations that Middelfart Municipality is constantly seeking to fulfill its climate ambitions. Sol over Brenderup has a vision of making the town of Brenderup CO2-neutral in the long term and has, on its own initiative, built a solar park of 20,000 square meters that will be able to produce green electricity, which corresponds to 1/3 of the electricity consumption in Brenderup. A result of close cooperation between citizens and private residents.

The prize of Climate Fighter og the Year was awarded to Linda Frølund Hansen - a person who not only leads by example - but also inspires others.

Linda Frølund Hansen considers the climate in everything she does. She is the initiator of meetings in the transition café, participates in the climate debate both as organizer and debater. And she inspires others to a more sustainable lifestyle through 'The Sustainable Calendar'.