Green Business Co-operation Day was held in the afternoon of the first day of the 2012 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum and Exhibition (2012MIECF) to explore Energy Efficiency and E-Mobility, two issues that are drawing special attention in recent years. Government officials, experts and academics from various regions explored market developments in environmental industry, in particular, Energy Efficiency and E-Mobility. With regards to energy efficiency, Mr. Liu Xueshan, Deputy Director of Bureau of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou Nansha Economic and Technological Development Zone shared with the audience the experience of the said development zone in improving energy efficiency spanning over a decade. He pointed out that the relevant authorities, in order to prevent damage to the ecological environment in the vicinity of Nansha Development Zone, since the very beginning of the development works, has committed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of energy use. He said that the specific works include several aspects, as follows: firstly, promote the use of clean energy so as to reduce pollutant emissions; secondly, by gathering the industries and providing centralized heating sources, help to reduce pollutant emissions from the SMEs´ boilers; thirdly, make full use of renewable energy, such as the use of wind and solar power for lighting in the rural areas; fourthly, development of new low-carbon energy technologies and respective promotion to different industries; fifthly, use environment-friendly traffic management and planning and construction of green facilities, to lead the use of clean energy in public transport, playing in this regard a role model. Lastly, establish a policy where public buildings should use energy-saving technologies. Mr. Wilfred Chan, Asia Pacific Sustainability Portfolio Manager of British Standards Institution (BSI) made a presentation on how companies can save cost and improve energy efficiency by using energy management standards. During the panel discussion on E-Mobility, Mr. Paul Lin, Senior Manager of Overseas Marketing Dept of BYD said that China is the world´s largest car market and that taxis in Mainland China has already reached 1.2 million units, pointing out that the large public system offers a huge potential for electric vehicles. He believes that, under the guidance of the Chinese government, the car market has the potential to enter into an all-electric era, the reason being that, apart from reducing carbon dioxide emissions, it also involves the country´s energy security issues, given that China´s oil reserves will only be sufficient to maintain the entire oil system in operation for two days and that in the event of the Middle East temporarily suspending oil supply, China will face serious problems. In this case, electric vehicles could reduce the pressure on energy supply. Mr. Lin believes that, as the government gradually promotes the electric buses and taxis, acceptance of electric vehicles by the public will increase and the surge of the popularity of private electric vehicles will soon occur. The use of electric cars is also a direction towards environmental protection in Macao. Mr. Antonio Peres Diniz, Senior Manager of Special Projects of Companhia de Electricidade de Macau – CEM, S.A. revealed that CEM has started preparations for the installation of electric car charging stations so as to prepare for the charging of electric vehicles in the future. In addition to hardware configuration, software support is also an important aspect that should be considered, he added. Dr. Stefan Ferber, Director for Communities & Partner Networks at Bosch Software Innovations GmbH pointed out that, unlike conventional cars, electric car must be linked to the grid to operate and rely on the internet and an automated management system to protect traffic safety. The Green Business Co-operation Day is jointly organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), AICEP Portugal Global, the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, Macao Chamber of Commerce, European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, the American Chamber of Commerce in Macau, and the European Union Business Information Programme (EUBIP). The Green Business Co-operation Day is one of the most important activities in 2012MIECF, which also includes a networking reception and signing ceremony for co-operation agreements in investment projects. The launching ceremony was presided over by Mr. Tam Pak Yuen, Secretary for Economy and Finance of Macao SAR, Mr. Gao Shangde, Senior Assistant Director-General of Economic Affairs Department of Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macau SAR, Mr. Liu Fenghua, Deputy Secretary General of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Mr. Jackson Chang, President of Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Mr. Ma Iao Lai, President of Macao Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Stefan Amarasinha, First Secretary of the European Union Office to Hong Kong and Macao, Ms. Mariana Oom, Trade & Investment Commissioner for Hong Kong & Macau, AICEP Portugal Global , Mr. Paul Tse, Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Macau, Mr. Jean-Baptiste Wallaert, Chair of PRD Environment Working Group, European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, and Mr. Jens-Erick Olsen, Vice Chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.
