The 2011 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Exhibition and Forum (2011 MIECF) concluded at 6 pm today, having seen more than 8,800 visitors attend the three-day event, a 10 per cent growth on last year. Among the visitors, more than 6,400 were trade visitors, and the Green Public Day today drew about 2,400 visitors. During the three-day event, 31 pacts or agreements were signed on-site, and the organisers, Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) and Macao Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA), said the result showed the achievements of MIECF accumulated in the past few years and its strengthened role as a business platform for the 'green' industry. Over the last three days, the organisers collected 625 projects related to environmental investment and agency for environmental products and arranged 574 business matching sessions for companies, a 38 per cent increase over last year's edition of MIECF. Among the 574 matching sessions, 167 were related to procurement of hotels. Among the 63 signing parties of these protocols, about 60 per cent were from Macao. Other signing parties were from the Mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Netherlands, Portugal and Canada. Six protocols were related to eco-friendly vehicles. This edition of MIECF attracted 324 exhibitors from 24 countries and regions, with some of them globally famously companies and institutions. The exhibition area totaled 16,500 square metres, 22.5 per cent more space over last year's 13,465 square metres. As the awareness of environmental protection had increased in recent years, Ms Echo Chan, the Executive Director of IPIM, said MIECF had made progress in enhancing its scale and influence. The organisers were keen to promote the quality of the exhibitions and some exhibitors reflected that the quality of business matching projects was better and the negotiation processes were smoother. In this edition of MIECF, the organisers had for the first time invited hotel operators in Macao to take part in the exhibition and procure. All six gaming operators had participated. This year´s MIECF exhibited all important products of the green industry, and electric vehicles and related products were the highlight of the exhibition. Some Mainland and overseas carmakers had exhibited their products, such as BMW, BYD and Zhuhai Jetco. Compared with the last edition of MIECF, newly exhibited products this year included charging stations for electric vehicles and smart grid products, while the number of prime exhibitors increased from eight to 11. The Deputy Director of DSPA, Ms Vong Man Hung, sad a number of globally prominent speakers attended this year's MIECF, including Mr Joschka Fischer, Former Vice Chancellor and Former Foreign Minister of Germany, who delivered a keynote speech entitled 'Decoupling Growth and Emissions - a Roadmap to a Prosperous Decarbonized Future' at the opening ceremony, while Mr Klaus Toepfer, Former United Nations Undersecretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, gave a keynote speech entitled 'The Low Carbon Economy - corner stone for a dynamic, sustainable development' on the second day of MIECF. Ms Vong said that the number of forums had increased from five sessions to seven this year, with the participation of 70 speakers from 11 countries and regions. These top officials, experts and academics shared advanced ideas in green industries, technologies in cutting emissions and conserving energy, the tackling of climate change, which attained applause from different sectors of the community. She said that their sharing in building low carbon cities and the relation between urban planning and environment were beneficial to the realisation of the vision of 'Building a low carbon Macao, creating green living together' and Macao's regional positioning as a 'World tourism and leisure centre'. On today's Green Public Day, the organisers had arranged some electric buses as shuttles to take visitors to the exhibition hall. Moreover, about 200 students and teachers were invited to tour the exhibition. The organisers said they hoped that the public could learn more about renewable energy, eco-friendly cars and other eco-friendly equipment and solutions. Their awareness in these technologies would be essential to the adaptation of the latest green technologies in the future in Macao. The MIECF had been staged for four consecutive years and its quality had enhanced as it had become an important platform for green industries in South China and the Pan-Pearl River Delta region. The next edition of MIECF will be staged on 29 to 31 March 2012. 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
