Feature: Traditional Chinese wisdom inspires new approach to energy efficiency

COPENHAGEN, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Ahead of the International Energy Agency' (IEA) 7th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency to be hosted by the small Danish town of Sonderborg between June 7 and June 9, local business and political leaders have expressed a desire for Denmark to form an energy efficiency alliance with China in light of the recent global events affecting energy supply.

Denmark, one of the world's most energy-efficient countries, should join forces with China, a global leader in solar, wind and hydro-power generation, according to Kim Fausing, chief executive officer (CEO) of Danfoss, the global market leader in electric heating technology.

"It's high time that the two countries demonstrate leadership in pioneering the application of energy efficiency solutions and show the world their values in the fight against climate change," Fausing told Xinhua.

A Chinese philosophical approach to business appears to be perfectly wedded to a current mantra in Danish business and political circles: "The greenest energy is the energy we don't use."

Fausing is impressed by how the Chinese proverb "Kai Yuan Jie Liu" applies to financial management. The proverb literally translates as "to open a water source and reduce outflow." As an idiom it means "to increase income and save on spending."

He said "We must use energy in a smarter way and energy efficiency aims at reducing the amount of energy we use ."

Danfoss, headquartered in Sonderborg, will have the opportunity to show conference attendees how, in collaboration with the local municipality, they have helped decarbonize more than half of the area, with the goal of making it climate neutral by 2029.

"Having the right policies, infrastructure and technology in place to enable changes to Sonderborg has been important, but equally important is building strong partnerships with many international cities, including Chinese cities like Tianjin, Jinan, Zhenjiang, Baoding and Haiyan. We must share best practices and new ideas with each other."

Denmark's Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities, Dan Jorgensen, who will officially welcome energy leaders to Sonderborg, believes that Denmark has a lot of experience and expertise to share with the world, and that there is a lot of untapped potential for energy cooperation between the two countries.

"Through the Danish Energy Partnership Program and our strategic sector cooperation we support China's efforts to develop low-carbon pathways," Jorgensen told Xinhua.

"By doing so, we can also support China's efforts to build a modern energy system and, ultimately, help pave the way towards a net-zero carbon future."

Jorgensen lauds the ongoing government-to-government cooperation that has expanded to include the sharing of "knowledge and experiences on energy efficiency, energy transition and energy planning, including modeling of energy systems in China in accordance with the Paris Agreement, grid flexibility and integration of renewable energy.

"A major deliverable of our partnership is the China Energy Transformation Outlook report, which shows that it is possible for China to have a green transition without compromising economic development," he said.

Participants will include climate leaders and decision makers from governments, industry and the public sector.