TV 2 Denmark lifts Copenhagen benches to the 2100 sea level as a climate warning

TV 2 Denmark, a public-service broadcaster, felt that many Danes had switched off from climate reports and images of melting icebergs. As part of its 'Our Earth - Our Responsibility' initiative it set out to make the consequences of climate change tangible and start a national conversation about shared responsibility.

Take Denmark's beloved Copenhagen bench and raise its seat by 85 cm - the sea-level rise the UN projects by 2100 - so climate change becomes furniture no one can ignore.

With the original manufacturer, TV 2 made 15 benches from upcycled metal and recycled wood, each raised by 85 cm, and placed them at central locations in Denmark's largest cities. A copper plate on each bench explained that the UN Climate Report projects sea levels to rise by up to one metre before 2100 unless the world changes course.

The benches grabbed attention immediately and went viral in Danish and international media, reaching an estimated 370 million people. Research after the campaign found it made 1 in 3 Danes talk about climate change, and 8 in 10 agree that everyone shares the responsibility to act.

By 2022 many Danes had become desensitised to climate reports and images of melting icebergs. TV 2 Denmark, one of the country's biggest public-service broadcasters, wanted an untraditional campaign that would make the consequences of climate change tangible and open a conversation about shared responsibility.

Its medium was a piece of Danish design itself: the Copenhagen bench. In collaboration with the original manufacturer, TV 2 created 15 benches from upcycled metal and recycled wood, each elevated by 85 cm to match the UN Climate Report's estimate for sea-level rise by the year 2100.

The benches appeared at central locations in Denmark's largest cities, carrying a copper plate explaining that flooding will become part of everyday life unless action is taken. People could not walk past - or sit on - the future without noticing.

The campaign translated a distant forecast into everyday furniture: an 85 cm seat made the projection physical and personal.

Because the Copenhagen bench is a beloved Danish icon, the message borrowed affection instead of preaching at people.

Putting the benches in real public spaces made the warning unavoidable and photographable, which is why it travelled far beyond Denmark.

An abstract threat becomes discussable when it is translated into an object people meet daily: raising a familiar bench turned a distant forecast into a discomfort anyone could sit on and talk about.

The Copenhagen Bench went viral in Danish and international media with an estimated reach of 370 million people; research found it made 1 in 3 Danes talk about climate change, and 8 in 10 agreed everyone shares the responsibility to act. The work won at the Epica Awards 2022, took a Graphite Pencil for Spatial Design/Public Spaces at D&AD 2023, and was highlighted by Eyes & Ears of Europe as a standout of its 2023 awards.