In the presence of Queen Margrethe and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Danish ambassador to China, Friis Arne Petersen, signed a new co-operation agreement between the Danish energy authorities, Energistyrelsen, and China’s National Energy Conservation Centre.
The agreement will increase China’s focus on effective energy regulation, particularly in the industrial sector, and Denmark will also help develop and implement strategies at a national and local level.
China has already developed a company program focusing on industries involving steel, chemical and cement, and Danish experiences can contribute to further development of a more energy-efficient industry in China.
“China is the world’s largest energy consumer and CO2 emitter, and there are huge opportunities to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions,” Rasmus Helveg Petersen, the climate, energy and building minister, said in a press release.
“In Denmark we have decades of experience in increasing energy efficiency – within the industrial and construction arenas.”
READ MORE: Queen and government team up for China visit
Great potential
Two existing co-operation agreements that focus on sustainable energy and green urban development were also extended. About 15 million Chinese relocate to the cities every year.
“The agreement shows that China highly prioritises a green conversion and wants to find sustainable solutions to the problems associated with its massive growth,” Petersen said.
China is in great need for energy efficiency and, according to the International Energy Agency, the nation has the potential to save on 25 percent of its energy consumption by 2035.
The Danish-Chinese energy co-operation was established back in 2005. There are about 500 Danish companies operating in China, which is Denmark’s second-largest trade partner outside the EU.
