HONG KONG – Celebrating its 11th edition this year, Eco Expo Asia, the preeminent trading platform for green businesses in Asia, will gather industry experts and leading-edge products and solutions at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong from 26 to 29 October 2016.

The annual show is organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, and co-organised with the Environment Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government.

A networking luncheon for the show was held on 17 March at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, which welcomed representatives from the international government and business sectors. These guests shared insights into the emerging green market in different countries.

Four key focuses for Hong Kong environmental protection policies

Wong Kam-sing, Secretary for the Environment of the HKSAR Government, delivered the keynote luncheon speech. Mr Wong praised Eco Expo Asia as an exceptional platform for promoting environment protection in Hong Kong as well as for representatives from different countries to exchange their views and set common objectives.

Mr Wong highlighted the achievements Hong Kong had made in environmental protection in recent years. For example, in July 2015, the government introduced a new regulation which requires all ocean-going vessels to switch to low-sulphur marine fuel for berthing in the port of Hong Kong. Hong Kong is the first Asian city to implement such a measure, and it has improved the air quality around the Kwai Tsing Container Terminals and surrounding berths significantly.

He added that the government will also set up an inter-departmental committee on climate change to formulate more progressive policies towards meeting emission reduction targets.

Mr Wong elaborated: “Hong Kong has identified four key focuses for its environmental protection policies, including cleaner air supply, building energy efficiency, green transportation and waste-to-energy conversion. Related measures will be taken to address the major pollution issues of Hong Kong and to transform the city into a low-carbon, low-waste and energy-efficient one.”

Green solutions to seize market opportunities

Benjamin Chau, Deputy Executive Director of the HKTDC, noted that the theme of this year’s Eco Expo Asia, “Green Solutions for a Changing Climate”, echoed the mission of the government’s environmental protection policies.

He not only pinpointed that business viability and environmental awareness are equally significant in promoting green technology in Asia, but also stressed the importance of having the local community’s support. He said: “The community’s involvement is an essential part of promoting sustainable development and environmental protection measures. As with previous years, we will extend the invitation to participate from trade professionals (on the first three days of the fair) to the general public on the last day, free of charge.”

Prof Daniel M Cheng, Chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries and President of the Hong Kong Environmental Industry Association, pointed out that, since the inaugural Eco Expo Asia, which featured 128 exhibitors and drew close to 5,000 buyers, the fair has grown considerably and attracted 320 exhibitors and more than 12,000 buyers in 2015.

Prof Cheng further explained that many major environmental protection projects have been launched in Hong Kong over the past 10 years, including the establishment of sludge treatment facilities, the EcoPark WEEE Recycling Centre and integrated waste management facilities.

Apart from these large-scale projects, the Environmental Industries Council also encouraged small- and medium-sized enterprises to bring innovative ideas into the environmental protection space, and to capitalise on market opportunities. He said: “Climate change is not necessarily a challenge that is impossible to handle. We need to understand its impact and be flexible in our strategies in order to seize various market opportunities.”

World-class expo promoting international cooperation

Wilfred Mohr, Consul General of the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, also complimented Eco Expo Asia for being an excellent platform for green businesses.

For the past two years, the Netherlands Consulate General has organised a national booth at the expo. It not only facilitated exchange between companies from the Netherlands and Hong Kong, but it also promoted cooperation with the Chinese mainland.

From this came the establishment of sewage treatment plants by the Government of the Netherlands, in Guangdong Province. In view of this, the Netherlands Consulate General has arranged for several more Dutch enterprises from different sectors of the green industry to exhibit at the 2016 Eco Expo Asia.

Also speaking at the luncheon, Jason Cao, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, thanked all the guests for their support for Eco Expo Asia. He encouraged the cooperation of more organisations from around the world that are interested in promoting geen development in Hong Kong and throughout Asia to capture valuable opportunities available in the Asian markets.