In Copenhagen, sustainability is a slippery slope; hot-desking’s biggest flaw, and more top news

The news professionals in Europe are talking about now, curated by LinkedIn’s editors. Join the conversation on today's stories in the comments. 

Copenhagen has opened the doors to the world’s first artificial ski slope above a waste incinerator. Danish architects conceived the idea in 2011 — a “great example of hedonistic sustainability” — and started developing the project in 2017. The plant will burn waste from about 600,000 residences and 68,000 businesses to produce electricity and heating, while skiers above fly down a 450-metre green slope covered in neveplast. The project is part of Copenhagen’s plans to become the world’s first carbon-neutral city. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Meanwhile, Unilever is planning to halve the amount of new plastic it uses over the next five years in a bid to appeal to younger and more environmentally conscious shoppers. The firm currently produces 700,000 tonnes of new plastic a year, but has pledged to recycle as much as it makes by 2025. Unilever boss Alan Jope told the BBC that while plastic is a "terrific material", younger generations increasingly care about "purpose and sustainability". ? Here’s what people are saying.

Auditors say billions of euros of EU funds were misspent last year, reports Reuters. The European Court of Auditors, which is responsible for the yearly audit of the EU’s €155 billion annual budget, says around 2.6% of the transactions were irregular, up from 2.4% the previous year. While most irregularities are attributed to mistakes, in some cases they can hide full-fledged fraud, per Reuters. In 2018, the EU's anti-fraud agency issued 256 recommendations to recover €371 million for the EU budget. ? Here’s what people are saying.

A group of American and British scientists have won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for their insights into how cells interact with oxygen. The work — by Dr. William G. Kaelin Jr. at Harvard University, Dr. Gregg L. Semenza of Johns Hopkins University, and Peter J. Ratcliffe at Oxford and the Francis Crick Institute in the UK — has helped find new treatments for anemia, cancer and other diseases. The three hypoxia researchers will share the 9 million kronor ($918,000) award, kicking off a week of Nobel prizes. ? Here’s what people are saying.

As more and more businesses hire freelance workers and contractors, the hot-desking trend has picked up steam. But is it really the money-saver it was intended to be? A recent survey revealed those in hot-desking offices took about 18 minutes to find a seat. In other words, 66 hours a year of wasted time. Not to mention, it isn't very popular with workers. A survey by Workplace Unlimited found hot-desking was ranked fifth out of six varying office designs. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Idea of the Day: Take initiative and some risks, advises make-up guru Bobbi Brown, founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics.

"We risk failing by being afraid to do things out of our comfort zone. The fear of being embarrassed, or embarrassing ourselves... Only by being fearless, and doing scary things, can we grow and advance."

What's your take on today’s stories? Share your thoughts in the comments.

— Capucine Yeomans