Join us in the NorthSide Forest

For many, NorthSide is known as a pioneer in sustainable cultural events. Now the festival is once again leading the way by creating the NorthSide Forest – and inviting all of Aarhus to help plant it this November.

More biodiversity. Better protection of Aarhus’ groundwater. Carbon sequestration. And new natural areas for Aarhus residents to enjoy.

These are just some of the positive aspects of an ambitious new project, resulting in the creation of the NorthSide Forest near Vilhelmsborg south of Aarhus.

In a historic collaboration with Aarhus Municipality and Klimaskovfonden, NorthSide is funding the planting of at least 8.7 hectares of diverse conservation forest. In total, the NorthSide Forest will cover 10 hectares, with plans to develop the area so Aarhus residents can enjoy new nature experiences close to the city.

“NorthSide is an Aarhus festival in every way, and we want to be more involved in the city’s development. We’re launching a major local project that benefits all residents of Aarhus,” says Martin Thim, Sustainability Manager at NorthSide.

The first trees in the NorthSide Forest will be planted during a large event on November 9th this year, and all Aarhus residents are invited to join.

Local and Global Benefits
The planting of the NorthSide Forest will help protect the groundwater in the area and improve conditions for biodiversity. Once fully grown, the forest will sequester 3,000 tons of CO2, equivalent to the festival’s emissions of approximately 600 tons per year over the five years the project is funded.

“We are particularly focused on improving conditions and quality of life for Aarhus residents, who make up the majority of our guests at Eskelunden every June. But with the significant amount of CO2 the forest will sequester, it is also a step towards potentially becoming one of the world’s first 100 percent carbon-neutral festivals,” says NorthSide Festival Director, Brian Nielsen.

The contribution will not count towards the festival’s climate accounts, as NorthSide is actively working to reduce emissions from the event itself as much as possible. At the same time, the festival aims to contribute to the future by planting a forest that will sequester CO2, alongside other initiatives.

The designated area is currently former agricultural land. Aarhus Municipality has acquired the land as part of a larger project converting 300 hectares into nature. Now NorthSide is taking the lead by funding a significant portion, which delights Nicolaj Bang, Councilman for Technical and Environmental Affairs in Aarhus Municipality:

“It makes perfect sense to collaborate with a local cultural institution like NorthSide. Like a new forest, they started small and grew into an integral part of the city and its residents. By working with them and Klimaskovfonden, we can now show a prime example of how we can address both environmental and groundwater protection while providing great nature experiences for the residents of Aarhus in a single project.”

Klimaskovfonden as Key Partner
Aarhus Municipality and NorthSide have teamed up with the Klimaskovfonden, which has developed a standard for how forest planting contributes to Denmark’s climate efforts. In practice, this means it’s possible to quantify how much CO2 the new forest will capture and store.

“This collaboration shows what we can achieve when we bring together actors committed to climate action. Together, we can plant a forest that benefits the climate and provides Aarhus residents with a fantastic natural area close to the city. We are very proud to be part of this,” says Poul Erik Lauridsen, Director of the Klimaskovfonden

Contact:

Martin Thim, Sustainability Manager, NorthSide – martin@dtdgroup.dk – 28 14 15 55

Lars Esmarch, PR Manager, NorthSide – lars@dtdgroup.dk – 48 88 88 11

Alexander Vissing, Klimaskovfonden – av@klimaskovfonden.dk – 30 54 17 13

Astrid Bjørg Mortensen, Comms and PR, Klimaskovfonden – am@klimaskovfonden.dk – 23 11 17 51