Successful Completion of 2016MIECF Showcasing the Role as a Green Platform | Promoting Ecological Civilization and Green Development

Successful Completion of 2016MIECF Showcasing the Role as a Green Platform

The 2016 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum and Exhibition (2016MIECF) which has been held for three days, was closed today (2 April). Exhibitors said that this year’s MIECF focused more on the professional level of the participants, which enabled buyers to more easily find the right co-operation projects and explore business opportunities. At the same time, through this event, they have learned more about the latest environmental technologies. Therefore, MIECF´s played a prominent role as a green platform and provided a high-level international green exchange platform for the environmental industry in the Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) and around the world.

MIECF has become a green co-operation platform for the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region

The theme adopted for 2016MIECF was “Green Economy – Opportunities for Waste Management “. Since MIECF’s inception in 2008, the quality of the various activities under MIECF have been constantly improved, and the standard has been enhanced. At the same time, the provinces and regions in the Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD Region), collectively known as PPRD “9+1”, have at all times been participating as Co-organisers of the event and every year organise high-level delegations to participate in the exhibition or forums. As a matter of fact, MIECF has already become a branded activity within the PPRD regional co-operation framework.

The MIECF this year occupied an area of 16,900 square metres, with 460 exhibitors from 20 countries and regions, including 21 prominent exhibitors from Macao, Mainland China and overseas. The PPRD “9+1” continued to organise delegations to participate in the event and has also arranged two PPRD-related sessions, namely, “Pan-Pearl River Delta Region (PPRD) Session – Solid Waste Management Policies and Technology in the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region” and “PPRD Environmental Technology Exchange”, thus provided opportunities for professionals in the environmental sector from the PPRD Region, Southeast Asia, United States, Europe and Portuguese-speaking Countries to join together and exchanged information on waste management and technology, in a bid to explore co-operation opportunities.

Exhibitors from the European Union: MIECF is a 5-star event

At the networking session, the President of Macau Association of Environmental Protection Industry, Mr. Mak Soi Kun, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Association of Environmental Protection Industry of Guangdong Province, Mr. Qu Jun, the Operations Manager of EWA (which is also one of the exhibitors), Mr. Tomas Ledajaks, and the Vice-President of Associação de Jovens Empresários de Portugal-China (AJEPC), Mr. Bernardo Mendia, all agreed that the standard of the MIECF has been constantly improving, and provided exhibitors the networking opportunities with high-end customers, and enabled them to reach agreement of co-operation intent and jointly explore business opportunities. In addition, the Green Forum, Green Matching, the industry-based networking sessions, seminars and presentations were organised to provide opportunities for the participants to know more about the latest development trends of their industry.

Mr. Tomas Ledajaks also praised the event, rating it five stars and said that other places should also take it as reference. He also said that he intended to participate again next year and hoped that the organisers could increase the size of the venue, so as to accommodate more exhibitors from around the world.

Huge business potential for Macao´s waste battery

The Director of Zhongxing Vannex (Macau) Limited, Mr. Vincent Kan, said that his company is principally engaged in the recycling of electronic waste, after which these materials are transported to recycling companies abroad. He said that his company also recycles electronic boards that are re-manufactured as notebooks and office supplies with creative designs. He also said that his companies recycles and packs the recycled batteries in compliance with the requirements of the Basel Convention, and transported to recyclers in other countries which extract the useful substances by using technology that does not pollute the environment. As Macao generates about 3,000 tonnes of waste batteries each year and therefore he believed that, by means of the formulation of better recycling measures by the government, coupled with the increasing public awareness in electronic waste recycling, waste management in the related area could be further enhanced. He also noted that MIECF is an excellent education platform, as it can increase public knowledge of the different environmental sectors and products, thus further promoting environmental protection in Macao.

Exhibitors promote environmental philosophy through MIECF

Another exhibitor, the Anhui Geyi Biofineries Industrial Park Limited, is a joint-venture company with the Legend Globe Investment Co. Ltd as its shareholder. According to its CEO, Mr. Zhou Haiping, his company in Mainland China uses exclusive patented technology for the effective separation of the “three elements” of biomass for conversion into clean energy, industrial raw materials and organic fertilizers, in a bid to replace fossil fuels with renewable biological resources. The company is already selling its products around the world, and that he did not aim at finding business opportunities at MIECF, but merely to promote his company´s products and enhance public environmental awareness.

Several MIECF-related activities contributed to a number of exchanges and business matching

During MIECF, several networking events were held, designed for different sectors, including, “Environmental Industry Networking Cocktail Reception”, “Green Building Industry Networking Session”, PPRD Environmental Technology Exchange”, and other networking activities. During the three-day event, 32 agreements were signed and 224 business matching sessions were held at the Green Business Matching Zone. According to figures supplied by the MIECF Project Manager, there were 708 business negotiations sessions organised for hosted buyers at the venue.

Professionals expressed their valuable insights at the “Waste Management” Forum

As far as the Green Forum is concerned, in view of the increasing concern of enterprises on waste management methods which are not hazardous to the environment, a total of six sessions on “waste management” were held under the Green Forum, in addition to a special session with the participation of specialists. Forty six environmental protection specialists and pioneers, multinational company leaders and policy makers of the PPRD Region discussed about “waste management”, “waste reduction at source”, “conversion of garbage into valuable matters”, “solid chemical waste”, green hotel and green buildings, and shared information on waste management and re-manufacturing economy in each region, to promote recycling and waste reduction. Professor Dr. h. c. Walter R. Stahel, Pioneer in Circular Economy, Inventor of the “Cradle to Cradle” and “Performance Economy” concepts, Founder-director of the “Product-Life Institute, Geneva, and full member of the Club of Rome, was the keynote speaker of MIECF. Professor Stahel also participated in a special session and gave a speech on “Enhancing Waste Management through Internet Plus”.

Other concurrent events included the “1^st Macau Maritime Session: Marine Functional Zoning and Development Panning”, hosted by the Macau Ecological Society, and the “International Forum on Green Economy Opportunities”, hosted by Green Environment Protection Association of Macau.

Series of activities at the Green Public Day to promote green life

The last day of MIECF was the “Green Public Day”. Many visitors participated in the parent-child activities, enjoyed the performances and visited the “Green Life Market” which was introduced for the first time this year. A lively atmosphere dominated at the venue. The Organiser also arranged the on-site distribution of plants, to encourage public participation in green living.

10^th MIECF will take place on March 30 to April 1, 2017

The Executive Director of Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), Mrs. Irene V.K. Lau said that the views of the exhibitors were greatly valued , and that after the completion of the event, IPIM will collect the views and opinions and make adjustments accordingly, so as to constantly enhance the standard and quality of MIECF, to meet the demands of the environmental sector. Mrs. Lau also stressed that the various services of the event will be constantly improved, and the information received at the venue will be arranged and classified, and provided to relevant government agencies to serve as the reference for sourcing. The 10^th MIECF will take place from 30 March to 1 April 2017. All trade visitors from home and abroad as well as local residents are welcome.