New inspiration catalogue points to more than DKK 40 billion in sustainable investments in Greenland
CIP Foundation, Greenland Business Associaton (Grønlands Erhverv) and the Confederation of Danish Industry (Dansk Industri) will present the catalogue at Future Greenland in Nuuk on 19–20 May.
Greenland faces a historic opportunity
The country holds unique resources that can form the basis for economic development, prosperity and resilience. There is significant potential for green energy production and for the extraction of minerals that are particularly important for combating climate change and strengthening Europe’s independence and resilience.
Against this backdrop, a number of members of the Confederation of Danish Industry met with the two heads of government, Mette Frederiksen and Jens-Frederik Nielsen, in April 2025 to discuss how sustainable growth could be created in Greenland. This was where the idea for an investment catalogue was born.
Nothing about Greenland without Greenland
The catalogue is the result of a year’s work and around 50 dialogue meetings with companies, experts and organisations across Greenland. The aim has been clear: to assemble concrete, realistic investment opportunities that can both strengthen the Greenlandic economy and contribute to the global green transition.
The ideas range from shore power in harbours, energy renovations and electrification to new hydropower plants, glacial rock flour and critical minerals.
What the ideas have in common is that they build on Greenlandic strengths and on initiatives already under way. The investment ideas can contribute to a more diverse Greenlandic business sector and to greater economic robustness.
Major gains for the economy, the climate and quality of life
Investment opportunities worth more than DKK 40 billion have been identified, including more than DKK 12 billion in projects that can be initiated within five years. The potential is substantial:
- A more robust and self-sustaining economy
- Billions in tax revenue over the coming 20–30 years
- New jobs and apprenticeships in both towns and settlements
- Cleaner air, lower heating bills and better housing
- CO₂ reductions of more than 300,000 tonnes per year – more than half of Greenland’s current climate footprint
EU funds, a new fund or other financing models?
Many of the investments are of a size and risk profile that make it necessary to attract international capital and to combine public and private sources of financing. The catalogue offers a number of suggestions for how this could be approached. It includes a mapping of which EU programmes could potentially support different projects, as well as a description of the possibilities for establishing an Arctic fund.
The idea catalogue is now available in Greenlandic, Danish and English. We invite politicians, investors, businesses and civil society to dive into the analyses and take part in the continued dialogue on how Greenland can develop a stronger, greener and more self-sustaining economy.
Read the idea catalogue in Greenlandic, Danish and English.