Press release 27 June 2008
Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications

Government appoints coordinator for Swedish-Chinese environmental technology cooperation

The Government has appointed former State Secretary Mats Denninger as special coordinator for Swedish cooperation with China in the area of energy and environmental technology, and sustainable urban planning.

Environmental and climate challenges in China are growing, above all as the economy rapidly develops. As part of Sweden's ambitions to tackle global environmental and climate change, and to deepen Swedish-Chinese cooperation in this area, a number of agreements concerning environmental and energy technology, and sustainable urban development were reached between Sweden and China during Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt's visit to China in April 2008.

These agreements cover key areas in which China has enormous and growing needs - these include energy efficiency, biofuels and other renewable energy sources, as well as sustainable urban planning. These are areas in which Swedish companies have world-leading expertise. Cooperation work is to include a concrete project with the aim of building an eco-city near the city of Tangshan.

Mr Denninger will be responsible for the implementation of the agreements. All government agencies concerned and other public actors, such as the Swedish Trade Council, will assist in this task.

Mr Denninger is 55 years old and comes from the town of Tystberga in Sörmland. He has extensive experience of advanced tasks both in Sweden and abroad. Mr Denninger's latest position was Director of Development at NIRAS Sweden, a company that works on environmental technology, alternative energy and development issues in Asia, eastern Europe, Africa and Latin America.