Gino Van Begin
Gino Van Begin is since 2013 Secretary General of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, the leading global network of more than 2500 local and regional governments committed to building a sustainable urban future.
Gino joined ICLEI in 2000, became the Regional Director for Europe in 2002 and Deputy Secretary General in 2007. Over his 24 years at ICLEI, he has consistently worked towards ensuring ICLEI’s quality as a not-for-profit, responsible and forward-looking local government organisation, empowering its members around the world to implement sustainable solutions to the increasing challenges they face.
He has been a Member of the Steering Committee of the European Sustainable Cities and Towns during 2000-2012; served as a member of the Jury of the EU Green Capital Award during 2006-2011; and was a Member of the Board of the Global Infrastructure Basel (GIB) during 2012-2021.
He serves as a Board Member of SLOCAT since 2018 and is the Co-chair of the Making Cities Resilient 2030 Initiative of UNDRR since 2023.
Gino Van Begin was born in Belgium in 1964 and graduated from the University of Brussels as a lawyer. Before joining ICLEI, Gino worked in Russia for seven years as an advisor and Team Leader of the EU-funded Environmental Centers for Administration and Technology in Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg. Prior to that, he worked in Brussels, Belgium, for five years at the European Commission.
Green Transition Boosted by New Quality Productive Forces
Promoting green and low-carbon practices is essential for the high-quality development of society in an era characterised by rapid global economic growth and limited resources. Emerging quality productive forces, which integrate advanced technologies, operational efficiency, and high standards, are driving the society and economy towards a green transition.
This session brings together both local and international experts, scholars, and industry professionals to explore how these productive forces can foster economic growth while safeguarding ecological integrity, ultimately contributing to the realisation of a sustainable future.
Moderator:
Mr. Wong Seng Fat, Alfred
Interim Master of the Cheng Yu Tung College, University of Macau (Macao, China)
Speakers:
Mr. Xu Bijiu
Director General of the Central Supervision and Coordination Office of Ecological and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China (Mainland China)
Topic: Applying Green Development Principles to Foster New Quality Productive Forces
Ms. Tao Xiaosong
Deputy Director of the General Office, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China (Mainland China)
Topic: Cultivate and Enhance New Quality Productive Forces to Drive High-Quality Development with Elevated Levels of Protection
Mr. José Carlos Pimenta Machado
President of the Management Board, Portuguese Environment Agency (Portugal)
Topic: Embracing New Challenges towards Green Transition – The Portuguese Perspective
Mr. Gao Bo
Team Leader of the Research Group, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (Mainland China)
Topic: New Pollutant Detection Technology and its Application for New Quality Productive Forces - Taking Microplastics as an Example
Mr. James Lander
Co-founder and Director of ALGAESYS S.A. (United Kingdom)
Topic: Circular Water and Waste Avoidance Solutions for Regenerating Economies
Technological Innovation to Create Beautiful Cities
As society progresses, the innovation of green technologies assumes a vital role in environmental protection, industrial upgrading, and ecological civilisation development. To foster a prosperous future for urban areas, this session will examine how green innovations can promote sustainable urban development through, among others, pollution prevention and control, efficient utilisation and conservation of resources and advancement of green infrastructure.
Moderator:
Mr. Kou Kun Pang
Associate Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Macau (Macao, China)
Speakers:
Mr. Xu Xiangchao
Director of the Research Office, Beijing Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau (Mainland China)
Topic: Optimisation of Mobile Source Structure for More Blue Skies in Beijing
Mr. Leung Cho Shing, Joe
Senior Environmental Protection Officer (Regional North) 2 of the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department (Hong Kong, China)
Topic: Application of Ground Penetrating Radar and Augmented Reality
Mr. Zhao Ziwen
Associate Researcher of the South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China (Mainland China)
Topic: Green Innovation and Practices in Aquaculture Effluent Treatment
Mr. Vladimiro Miranda
President, INESC P&D Brasil (Brazil)
Topic: Adoption of New Energy Technologies: Impacts and Incentives
Mr. Choong Pik Wei, Lionel
Executive Director of Hiroyuki Industries (M) Sdn Bhd (Malaysia)
Topic: Bottle to Bottle - rPET Food Grade Resin Technology
