The Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region, Mr Chui Sai On, today delivered a welcoming speech at the opening ceremony of the 2011 Macao International Environmental Cooperation Exhibition and Forum (2011 MIECF), which was followed by a speech by the Deputy Director-General of Department of Resources Conservation and Environment Protection of the National Development and Reform Commission, Mr Wang Shancheng, on behalf of the Deputy Director of the Commission, Mr Xie Zhenhua. In his speech, Mr Wang said that the newly approved 12th Five-year Plan had elevated the roles of conserving resources and environmental protection to an even more important status. He said he believed that the organisation of this edition of MIECF in Macao would give significant importance to the promotion of green and low-carbon economy, and help address climate change. Ms Song Xiaozhi, the Deputy Director General of Department of International Cooperation and Deputy Director of Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, also gave a speech on behalf of the Minster of Environmental Protection, Mr Zhou Shengxian. Ms Song said the Central Government has elevated environmental protection to a more outstanding position over the past five years, as the pollutant emission reduction tasks were fulfilled ahead of schedule. Moreover, environmental protection had shown its growing role in optimising economic development and safeguarding and improving people's livelihood, and pollution control in key river basins and regions has been further intensified, she said. Policies, laws and regulations and the development of green science and technology had provided strong support for the development of the environmental protection undertaking, and the environmental quality had been constantly improved, she said. Mr Song said: 'The outline of the 12th Five-Year Plan has identified the need to strengthen environmental protection and promote ecological conservation by focusing on the theme of scientific development and accelerating the shift of economic development mode. 'The Chinese Government is now preparing the 12th Five-Year Plan for National Environmental Protection, which will mainly address two kinds of problems, that is, environmental problems that have adverse impact on sustainable development and environmental problems that have adverse impact on public health.' She said Macao was 'bestowed with advantages for developing into a low-carbon city, with the pillar industry being the light-duty tertiary industry. 'The Macao SAR has been a good example in and contributing to green consumption, green investment and development of green cities; it has become a model in this regard in China and even Asia. 'We hope that as a platform for business and trade services, the Macao SAR will continue providing services for the environmental cooperation between mainland China and the European Union as well as other regions, and facilitate the international cooperation on environmental protection industry,' she said. In a keynote speech entitled 'Decoupling Growth and Emissions - a Roadmap to a Prosperous Decarbonized Future', Former Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister of Germany Mr Joschka Fischer, said it was undeniably clear that the global climate and both global and regional environments were at risk and that the earth's resources were finite. 'The solution to the challenge of global climate change is as plain as day. The only chance of improvement is to decouple economic growth from energy consumption and emissions. This must happen in the emerging countries, and even more urgently in the old industrial economies,' he said. 'The decoupling can occur only if we do away with the illusion that pollution is cost‐free. We can no longer get away with subsidising economic growth and standards of living at the expense of the global environment. Human population has simply become too large to be able to afford it. 'Doing away with this illusion requires the creation of a global emissions market – still a very distant goal… It also requires more energy efficiency, which means a reduction of waste in both energy production and consumption. 'Finally, it requires a technological and politic-economic breakthrough in favor of renewable energy, rather than a return to nuclear power or coal. 'Since the 1970s the green movement in Europe has been very clear about the two key elements in achieving the successful transformation into a sustainable or green economy: The first is comprehensive government regulation and the second is a revaluation of natural resources in market prices. And this is where politics have to find its role. 'You cannot leave it to the markets alone, this would be careless. The markets do not regard the external costs of production and the effects of non-sustainable products. That's why we need to help the markets with intelligent regulations, such as emission trading systems. And with intelligent public investments, such as China's investment in the construction of super grids for electrical power,' he said. In conclusion, he said that 'we have to enfold a dynamic of investing in renewables, in energy efficiency and new technologies,' and this investment will pay off in growth: In the short term to help achieve wealth parity between the developed and emerging economies, and tomorrow by eliminating ecological burdens to our economies and people. This is what I call an investment with a double dividend.' For related enquiries, please contact the MIECF Secretariat at tel. (853) 8798-8675, fax (853) 2872-7123, e-mail miecf@ipim.gov.mo or navigate the following official MIECF website: www.macaomief.com
