Torben Dinesen (right), CEO of Dinex, a Danish company that offers advanced test centers for exhausts and emissions systems, with colleagues during testing of a Dongfeng Motor engine. Fu Jing / China Daily

Torben Dinesen, CEO of Dinex, a Danish company that offers advanced test centers for emissions, has spent four years building a commercial relationship with the trucks unit of Dongfeng Motor, a leading vehicle manufacturer in China. Dongfeng's truck engines have been tested using Dinex's equipment.

"We are expected to sign cooperation contracts with Dongfeng soon," says Dinesen.

Dinex has kept its eyes on the development of China's emissions regulations. China is expected to implement Euro 5-based national emissions standards in 2017, but Dinesen says it is likely Euro 6-based standards will be put into effect by 2023 nationwide.

"The updates of China's emissions regulations will push us to bring new emissions control solutions to our customers, and we need to have confidence and patience for this huge green market," Dinesen says.

Dinex is eager to keep Dongfeng as a key customer - the company produces nearly 20 percent of China's trucks - but Dinesen says his company expects to sign two or three customers in the next 10 years.

"Along the way, we need to improve our research and development capacity in China for future expansion," he says.

Environment minister

Eva Kjer Hansen, who was appointed Danish minister of environment and food in June, says she just came back from the United Nations General Assembly, which adopted its post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals on Sept 25. The goals are a set of targets for the next 15 years relating to international development agreed upon by member states.

"They are ambitious, but it is important to deliver solutions and fulfill such goals," says Hansen.

She says they are more ambitious than the millennial goals, which expire this year. "But the biggest trouble is to find financing, and we aim to find more businesses and funds to work together to help achieve the UN goals."

One of the goals is to ensure access to clean water around the world by 2030, and she says Denmark can help with that. Hansen says she is proud that one small company in Denmark has signed a contract with NASA for a water recycling system in space.

Hansen says some countries have used the debate over the need for carbon reduction to dodge their responsibilities in environmental protection, which is dangerous. "We Danes are very specific in every front of environmental protection, and we hope we can still lead the way," she says.

With China speeding up the restructuring of its economy by improving environmental quality and boosting energy efficiency, the country would be well served to strengthen its cooperation with Danish companies, Hansen says.

She notes that Denmark stopped using leaded petrol in 1978, while the European Union phased it out in 2000. The emphasis on the environment and sustainable development "has triggered development of environmental technologies in Denmark that prevent air pollution and improve energy efficiency," she says.

Hansen is scheduled to visit China in November to deepen bilateral cooperation.

"And China knows that we are very strong in food safety, which is also high on the agenda during my upcoming visit," she adds.

fujing@chinadaily.com.cn