Catalysing the green transition through collaborative innovation: A longitudinal study of green diplomacy in strategic partnerships between Denmark and China

Abstract This article examines the evolution of the Sino–Danish strategic partnership as a model for advancing sustainable energy transitions through a longitudinal case study spanning 2007–2024. Rooted in the 2008 Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, 2023–2026 Green Joint Work Programme, and China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025), the collaboration combines Denmark’s technological leadership in renewable energy with China’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2060. Based on documentary and field sources and using a multi-level perspective, we analyse how landscape-level pressures and regime structures interact to shape niche innovations in Denmark and China. The study addresses the role of science diplomacy and green diplomacy in fostering cross-border research and policy collaborations, and the extent to which bilateral initiatives have scaled clean energy solutions. It highlights how bilateral agreements that account for national security considerations can serve as foundational elements for a balanced approach to environmental ambition, economic integration, and geopolitical realities in global green governance.