The Macao International Environmental Co-operation and Forum and Exhibition (2010MIECF), organised by the Macao Special Administrative Region Government, will open on Thursday (April 8). The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, will preside over the opening ceremony of the three-day event. 2010MIECF, to be staged at the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel from April 8 to 10, attracts hundreds of exhibitors from China and foreign countries seeking green business opportunities, as well as professionals and experts from the business, academic and public organisations to share their views on the latest issues on environmental protection. The Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) and the Macao Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) are the Host Co-ordinators for the event, while the governments of the nine Pan-Pearl River Delta provinces and the Government of the Hong Kong SAR will act as Co-organisers. The National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People’s Republic of China are Special Supporting Organisations. The theme for the 2010MIECF will be “Macao, the Green Gateway, Green Knowledge, Green Technology, Green Finance”. Essentially through the exhibition of materials and the organisation of a string of forums, complemented by the marking of “Green Business Co-operation Day” and the organisation of business matching, technical visits and a wide range of exchange activities, MIECF aims to promote the green spirit as well as local and international co-operation, through the sharing of the latest environmental technology and solutions, to create more business opportunities for different enterprises. The opening ceremony on April 8 will be marked by keynote speeches by the Chief Executive of the Macao SAR, Mr Chui Sai On; the Deputy Counsel of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of PRC, Mr Sun Zhen (representing the Vice Chairman of National Development and Reform Commission, Mr Xie Zhenhua), Ren Yong, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Human Resources Management and Institutional Affaris of the Ministry of Environment Protection (representing the Minister of Environment Protection, Mr Zhou Shengxian) and Advisor to the Prime Minister of Czech Republic and Former Minister of Environment of the Czech Republic, Mr Peter J. Kalas. Green business opportunities for Chinese and European firms In addition to large-scale exhibitions and specialised forums on environmental protection, on the opening day – April 8 – the Organisers will hold a series of activities in connection with the “Green Business Co-operation Day”, to mark the start of the green economy business summit. The “Green Business Co-operation Day” is jointly organised by China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, Madrid Chamber of Commerce, Macao Chamber of Commerce, European Business Information Program (EUBIP) and European and Macao economic and trade departments and chambers of commerce. During this event, professionals in the environmental protection industry and representatives from several government agencies and organisations, mostly from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Europe and Portuguese-speaking countries, will deliver their keynote speeches, to share with the audience their unique perspectives and vision of what constitutes a green economy, as well as the business environment in the green industries. The Organizers will also arrange panel discussions and networking cocktail reception for participants to interact. To promote the awareness of environmental protection, the “Low-Carbon Building and Eco City” and “Clean Technology and Circular Economy” will be held on the morning of April 9, with professionals and experts from public institutions and business and academic sectors from Europe, America, Mainland China and neighbouring regions as panelists and moderators. They will share their research results and experience with the audience, to promote the popularisation and implementation of green living. On the afternoon of April 9, the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Association, Environmental Protection Bureau and Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Bureau will co-organise a forum entitled “Low-Carbon Economy Forum” to explore the relationship between climate change and low-carbon economy, the role of petroleum and chemical industry in developing low-carbon economy, as well as other issues. “The Seminar for International Green Industry Exchanges”, to be held on April 9, from 15:30 to 17:30, will focus on the latest trends, technologies and projects in green business, and look into Macao’s advantages in enhancing business co-operation between the Pan-Pearl River Delta and European Union. The seminar provides a stage for representatives from green businesses and academics from Europe, the Pan-Pearl River Delta and Macao to share their expertise and insights with their counterparts. On the exhibition part, the area for 2010MIECF has increased by about 10% to 13,465 square metres. According to the Organisers, response from exhibitors was favourable and 351 enterprises and organisations from 25 countries and regions will take part in the exhibition. There will be multiple themed areas, including the Macao Pavilion, the Pan-PRD Exhibition Area, the European Pavilion, the Macao Environmental Protection and Energy Saving Industry Exhibition Area, the Low-Carbon Living Pavilion, the Mainland China and International Environmental Protection Enterprises Exhibition Area and the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Association Exhibition Area, among others. Products and services to be exhibited include green buildings and smart cities, integrated waste management systems, renewable energy, photovoltaic and solar energy, low-carbon technologies, 3R green quality control, electric vehicles, electric motorcycles, decontamination equipment and LED energy-saving lamps. In order to create more business opportunities for exhibitors and participants, and to assist them in finding business partners and to promote their products and services, 2010MIECF will, as usual, provide them a free-of-charge business matching services. A user-friendly and dedicated online business matching service platform (http://bm.ipim.gov.mo) had been set up for participants to register their products and services and to arrange business matching sessions in advance. Last year, green business matching activities held during MIECF achieved outstanding results and contributed to a total of more than 360 business discussions, which resulted in the signing of co-operation protocols related to 20 projects, involving investments of MOP 2.5 billion. Up to today, the Organisers have pre-arranged more than 320 matching sessions and gathered 470 investment projects from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Britain, Taiwan, Finland, Portugal, Israel and other countries and regions, including projects from local public utilities entities and environmental protection organisations from Mainland China. Information of these projects can be viewed at http://bm.ipim.gov.mo or http://macaomiecf.com. During the three-day 2010MIECF, related organisations will stage a wide range of concurrent events, including “International Forum on Green Energy”, “Seminar on Promoting Diversification through Invention and Innovation”, “Initiation Ceremony of Environmental Protection and Energy Saving Project Recruitment”, “Asia-Macao Forum –The Breakthrough From A Changing Situation--The New Thinking For City Development” and “International Symposium of the Study Progress on Environmental Impact Assessment”. Various local and overseas companies and institutions will also give presentations of their products and researches. Trade visitors and members of the public are welcome. Promoting green awareness to the public As in the past, in order to enhance public environmental awareness and to educate the public on how to enjoy green living, this year’s MIECF will continue to hold the “Green Public Day” and open this event to members of the public. Parents are urged to bring their children to attend the Green Public Day on April 10. A visit to the area dedicated to environmental protection education is especially recommended for the younger generation, the concept of “show concern about environmental protection, stay closer to nature and enjoy green life”, by means of videos, fun games and exhibits, green fashion and workshops. Visitors may also get the chance to ride on an electric vehicle. On Green Public Day, free shuttle buses will take visitors to the exhibition. The shuttle buses connect Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel from Av. Dr. Mario Soares (The Macau Square), Avenida do Conselheiro Ferreira de Almeida and Estr. Marginal do Hipodromo. They run every 30 minutes, from 09:00 to 18:30. To allow participants from all over the world to understand Macao’s dedication and support environmental protection issues, Macao Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) will organise visits to the Macao Incineration Centre and Coloane Wastewater Treatment Plant. For inquiries, please contact the 2010MIECF Secretariat in telephone (853) 7898-9675, fax (853) 2872-7123, email miecf2010@ipim.gov.mo, or visit the 2010 MIECF official website: www.macaomiecf.com.
