Leaf city Elsinore leads the way to sustainable hotspots

Elsinore captures the attention of visitors by showcasing local and sustainable businesses on their GoGreen card. Through creating awareness about responsible shopping and dining, the city not only promotes sustainability but also rewards shop owners dedicated to this cause.

The objective of the GoGreen card is threefold: to stimulate citizens and tourists to make sustainable choices in their lives, to promote local sustainable businesses and to establish a network for these businesses. The GoGreen Card is about initiating conversations and thereby creating awareness about sustainability to stimulate sustainable behaviour. Over the years it has become clear that the public is interested in the guide and that the network of associated sustainable businesses is growing. The city of Elsinore enables this network to meet on a regular basis by organising four meetings per year. The goal of these meetings is the exchange of information on how to sell their products and to become more sustainable while doing so.

The GoGreen Card has been developed since 2011 to stimulate citizens to make sustainable choices. The guide is handed out in local stores and public areas, such as libraries and schools. The promotion of the GoGreen card is also done in a creative way, for example by advertising in the library through custom designed GoGreen card bookmarks. It is a conscious choice to use different types of communication as the city wants to address all citizens (different ages, different preferences).  The businesses that are presented in the guide act consciously regarding either ecology, reuse, recycling, products without harmful chemicals, social responsibility and/or other elements of sustainability. The guide is very diverse as it concerns all types of businesses, from the small producers, farm shops and local enthusiasts to designer shops, fashion, and unique second-hand shops. The guide also shows places to eat that prioritize ecology and biodynamics and places to stay the night where consideration for the environment has a high priority.

The GoGreen card is currently only published in Danish, which may hinder non-Danish speakers from reading the guides. However, Elsinore is considering the creation of an English version of the guide.

Another point of discussion revolves around the sustainability of printing all the guides and the risk of people immediately discarding them. However, Elsinore strives to make the guides as sustainable as possible by obtaining cradle-to-cradle certification (KLS PurePrint). This certification ensures that the paper and inks used are free of chemicals and heavy metals. Additionally, the wood used for the paper is sourced from sustainable FSC forestry in Europe, and the production process is climate neutralized.

The involved stakeholders are the local businesses and the consumers, who are the citizens and tourists of Elsinore. The city gathers feedback about the project through citizen meetings and business network meetings.

Moreover, the evaluation of the businesses presented in the guide needs to be done systematically to ensure that greenwashing is avoided. The company GoGreen Denmark certifies that companies use multiple sustainability criteria before they can be included on the map. Fortunately, the local shops are very idealistic, and Elsinore actively encourages sustainable companies to come on board.

For Elsinore, it is important to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability through action, not just words. The GoGreen card makes sustainability tangible for citizens, encouraging them to make more sustainable choices. Additionally, shop owners are motivated to adopt sustainable practices to earn a spot on the GoGreen card, thereby attracting more customers to their businesses. The GoGreen card thus effectively raises awareness about the importance of sustainability among both citizens and shop owners. This indirectly leads to various advantages, including:

• Encouraging the circular economy

• Promoting health benefits for citizens
• Supporting sustainable local businesses
• Stimulating local nature experiences

Elsinore has organized several citizens’ meetings to gather feedback about the GoGreen card initiative. The positive reception from citizens and shop owners has encouraged Elsinore to continue producing these guides.

Cities are recommended to consider creating a similar product, as it facilitates diverse dialogues and enables numerous interactions with citizens regarding sustainable topics like energy and the circular economy.

One key observation is that communication strategies for guides like the GoGreen card should be tailored to factors such as the user's age and interests. The traditional paper handout guide may be more suitable for the older generation, while younger consumers are more likely to quickly download the app.