Mads Nipper

Mads Nipper is CEO of Orsted, the world’s largest developer of offshore wind power. In 2009, 85% of Orsted's energy production came from fossil fuels, but over the last 15 years the company has transformed itself into a leader in renewables. Having already divested its oil and gas business in 2017, this year Orsted shut down its last coal-fired power plant.

What is the single most important action you think the public, or a specific company or government (other than your own), needs to take in the next year to advance the climate agenda?

The days where we needed to prove that we could build one renewable energy project at a time are over. Instead, there’s an urgent need for a systemic transformation encompassing all parts of the energy system and the demand from industry and transport in particular. It's about ensuring an energy transition, not just an energy addition. It’s time for unified action to secure a sustainable future.

What is a climate solution (other than your own) that isn't getting the attention or funding it deserves?

Climate change and biodiversity loss are the existential global challenges of our time. Addressing these crises together is essential. Shifting to renewable energy helps mitigate climate change and halts biodiversity loss. 

We need to integrate biodiversity action into the energy transition. Investors, policymakers, and businesses must scale solutions for biodiversity loss alongside renewables. For example, our BioReef initiative uses European oysters and horse mussels to restore biogenic reefs in the North Sea, enhancing local biodiversity, and we’ve recently launched the first biodiversity measurement framework for our industry. Scaling such solutions can be instrumental in achieving net-zero emissions and biodiversity goals by 2030.

If you could stand up and talk to world leaders at the next U.N. climate conference, what would you say?

We have an enormous task ahead of us. Our energy system needs sufficient investments to transform within the next two or three decades. Orsted’s company transformation, recently with the closure of our last coal plant, proves it's possible to move fully from fossil energy to green energy, but the global transition must accelerate. World leaders must therefore create comprehensive programs to ensure the necessary regulatory certainty to attract investments to renewables.

They have a chance to do so with renewed Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. These are vital roadmaps, requiring countries to enhance climate pledges every five years. To drive real progress, world leaders must end fossil fuel subsidies now and create specific roadmaps to triple renewables by 2030. This will provide the certainty needed to unlock investment and drive the energy transition forward. Only through collective action can we secure a livable planet for future generations.