Peter Ritzau Eigaard Becomes New Chair of Danmarks Miljøportal

Danmarks Miljøportal has appointed a new chair. Peter Ritzau Eigaard, Head of the Data & Analysis unit in the Danish Agency for Green Land Use Transition and Aquatic Environment, takes on the position and brings his many years of experience with environmental data and digital administration into the board’s work. He previously served three years on the board and now returns with solid insight into the organisation’s structure and collaborative interfaces.

Passionate about data

As a unit head, Peter works closely with many of the data continuously generated and fed into Danmarks Miljøportal, and data is precisely what drives him.

“I’m passionate about data. My field of work has always centred around data—particularly agricultural and environmental data—and how to deliver data to administrative systems so they are used to make the right decisions. In this, Danmarks Miljøportal plays an absolutely central role.”

For him, the role of chair is about further developing the current foundation and ensuring that Danmarks Miljøportal continues to support decision-making across public authorities.

A key part of the board’s upcoming work will therefore be to further strengthen the data foundation. Peter highlights the need for stronger data flows, more automated quality assurance, and further digitalised workflows so that data is increasingly verified upon entry—and thereby becomes more reliable.

“At Danmarks Miljøportal, data from state authorities, municipalities, regions, and several others is collected and made accessible. This is crucial for case handling and enables consistent use of data across municipalities. It is a huge benefit for them and for Denmark as a whole.”

He also emphasises the importance of ensuring that public-sector data creates value in society—among private companies, citizens, and universities. Therefore, both the quantity and quality of data are in focus, along with ensuring that the systems are coherent, robust, and intuitive to use.

Collaboration on the shared mission and a shared direction

As chair, Peter looks forward to working with the board as well as with professional groups, the coordination group, the secretariat, and external partners on the continued development of Danmarks Miljøportal. The coming period will thus be both a continuation of a solid foundation and the beginning of a new chapter, where data quality, automation, and strategic technological development go hand in hand.