Press conference of the 2017 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum and Exhibition (2017 MIECF)
The 2017 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum and Exhibition (2017MIECF) will be held from 30 March to 1 April at the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel. The event is going to be held under the theme “Innovative Green Development for a Sustainable Future”. This year’s edition of MIECF marks the 10-year milestone of the event. With the experience gained over the past editions – as well as to complement the key development guidelines of China’s National 13th Five-Year Plan – this year’s edition introduces additional activities and offerings in order to facilitate co-operation and exchanges between green enterprises from provinces and regions across the Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) Region, the European Union (EU), the Portuguese-speaking Countries and countries in other parts of the world. Therefore, MIECF continues to fulfil its function as a prominent “Green Platform” at international level.
The 2017MIECF is hosted by the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region and co-organised by the provincial and regional governments in the PPRD. The event also enjoys the support of China’s National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Environmental Protection, which are all taking part as Special Supporting Organisations. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology joined that supporting line-up this year, which witnesses the new edition of MIECF co-ordinated by the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) and the Macao Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA).
The “Green Forum” is a leading event of MIECF and there will be eight meetings and one special session held under the “Green Forum” from 30 to 31 March. All speakers are world-renowned experts and will deliver insightful talks. It is the honour of the organisers this year to invite Mr. Achim Steiner as the keynote speaker for the “Green Forum”. Mr. Steiner is a former Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme and now serves as Director of the Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford and International Vice-Chair of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development. Additionally, a special session with the keynote speaker will be arranged on 31 March, where Mr. Steiner will provide insights into green policies and incentive measures, as well as case studies of environmental protection strategies and technologies.
In addition, on the heels of an initiative at the 2014MIECF, this year the organisers will collaborate with the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the Ministry of Environmental Protection to organise a session called “The Blueprint for Innovative Green Development”. In the session, various experts from the Ministry of Environmental Protection will talk about the latest issues related to innovative green development in Mainland China, such as the ecological improvement and environmental protection measures outlined in the 13th Five-Year Plan and the green elements of the “Belt and Road” initiative.
PPRD Delegation to share insights from recent visits to Brazil and Portugal
This year’s “Green Forum” has also invited more than 50 renowned experts from the environmental sector – including activists, business leaders from multinational enterprises and regional policymakers – to participate in the event. They come from Mainland China, the United States, Australia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Israel, Japan, Portugal, Thailand, Hong Kong and Macao. These guests will conduct in-depth discussions on various topics, including: innovative green development policies; business strategies for manufacturing industries; tourism in coastal regions and cities; and green buildings.
There will also be a Pan-Pearl River Delta Region Session, with the aim of deepening the environmental co-operation and development within the PPRD. This session will be divided into two parts. Mr Jiang Xiaoting, President of the Sichuan Province Environmental Science Association (China), will share experiences from recent visits to Brazil and Portugal that were organised by the Macao SAR Government for a delegation of representatives of the “9 + 2″ group of the PPRD. The first part of the session will involve Mr Jiang discussing topics related to environmental protection and river basin management, based on insights learned from the visits. The second part of the session will be a Round Table Discussion about “Green Innovative Development in the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region”, in which representatives of the Mainland provinces and regions across the PPRD will introduce their latest technological advances and achievements in the environmental field.
Area for ‘Innovative Environmental Protection Technologies’ and Beijing Pavilion make debut at 2017MIECF
The “Green Showcase” at this year’s edition of MIECF covers an area of approximately 16,900 square metres, similar to last year’s edition. The exhibition part of the event has attracted more than 450 exhibitors from 17 countries and regions, encompassing representatives from Portuguese-speaking Countries, namely Portugal and Brazil. This year’s “Green Showcase” will step up the efforts from previous editions in promoting the latest green building materials via dedicated exhibition areas. The 2017MIECF will also see the debut of the “Showcase Area for Innovative Environmental Protection Technologies”, the Beijing Pavilion and the “Showcase Area for the 12th Five-Year Period Environmental Technology Achievements”. Various innovative environment-friendly technologies and solutions will be shown at the “Showcase Area of Innovative Environmental Protection Technologies”. The Beijing Pavilion will carry the theme “Green Beijing”, with the goal of promoting the environmental concepts, measures and environmental management outcomes achieved by the city in recent years, via displays, videos, QR code scanning and other interactive methods. The Beijing Pavilion will also showcase products and technologies from the city’s environmental protection enterprises, promoting further business co-operation opportunities.
Exchanges to facilitate collaboration between the PPRD Region and the EU
In addition to the “Green Forum” and the “Green Showcase”, the three-day event also offers a series of business matching services, such as “Green Business Co-operation Day”, the signing of protocols, “Green Matching”, presentations and promotional seminars, a “Green Building Industry Networking Session”, and a “Green Public Day”. Guided tours for government representatives will be organised again this year, in response to demand from exhibitors seeking to be in contact with the procurement divisions of local government departments. Exhibitors are also encouraged to take part in on-site “Green Matching” activities. Taking into account the State Council’s “Guidelines on Deepening the Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Co-operation”, 2017MIECF will actively promote exchanges and knowledge transfer between the PPRD and member states of the European Union (EU) regarding environmental technologies. The organisation of 2017MIECF will – by holding a promotional seminar tailor-made to technological needs of the PPRD, as well as by organising a one-to-one business matching session for technology providers from the PPRD and the EU – contribute to strengthen business communication and co-operation between the two sides. This in turn will help to jointly tackle the environmental challenges that these regions face nowadays. During this year’s edition of MIECF, IPIM will set up a permanent “Green Exchange” platform, as part of the “Online Business Matching Service Platform”. The “Green Exchange” platform is specially designed to promote online business matching opportunities for environmental projects. It will contribute to an increase in co-operation among green enterprises from the PPRD provinces and cities, the EU and Macao
To mark the 10th anniversary of MIECF, a “10th Anniversary Exhibition” will be organised, highlighting past exhibitors, world-renowned keynote speakers and outcomes of the agreements signed in previous editions. It will also showcase trends in the development of the environmental sector and the transformation in terms of society’s awareness of environmental protection issues. The exhibition – of digital photos – will be held at the Macao Pavilion.
In order to encourage green transportation, four free shuttle bus routes will operate during the “Green Public Day”. Services will run between the MIECF venue and the city centre, the northern district and Taipa. For more information about 2017MIECF, please visit the official website: www.macaomiecf.com. Complimentary parking at the MIECF venue will also be available – near Exhibition Hall D. Car parking spaces are limited, and they will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. The Organisation encourages those visitors coming by car to arrange car-sharing with friends and family members, and jointly participate in this annual festive event related to the environmental sector.