(Image of: Jenny Koo, Assistant Executive Director, HKTDC (centre); Fong Kin-wa, Deputy Director of the Environmental Protection Department of the HKSAR Government (left), and Judy Cheung, Deputy General Manager, Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd (right), attended the press conference.)
submitted by ACN Newswire on behalf of Eco Expo
HONG KONG – Eco Expo Asia 2024, jointly organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd and co-organised by the Environment and Ecology Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), will be held at AsiaWorld-Expo from 30 October to 2 November. The last day of the event will be open to the public for free.
To extend the sourcing journey, exhibitors and buyers worldwide can connect via the Click2Match virtual business matching platform from 23 October to 9 November.
HKTDC Assistant Executive Director Jenny Koo said: “In the face of climate change, countries and regions have been actively propelling carbon reduction policies and sustainable development. China, for instance, set carbon reduction and neutrality goals in 2020 and has been advocating the development of new quality productive forces. The Hong Kong SAR Government is also committed to achieving carbon neutrality before 2050, and the development of related industries has become increasingly diversified, laying a strong foundation for Hong Kong’s sustainable development. Themed Fostering Green Innovations for Carbon Neutrality, the 19th edition of Eco Expo Asia will bring together international exhibitors and industry professionals to showcase cutting-edge innovations and technologies that aim to achieve dual carbon goals.”
Speaking at the press conference, the Deputy Director of the Environmental Protection Department of the HKSAR Government, Fong Kin-wa, expressed: “We hope the Eco Expo Asia could share with visitors and exhibitors from around the world, including Belt and Road countries and ASEAN countries, the latest green innovation for achieving carbon neutrality, with a view to promoting exchange and cooperation between governments and trade sectors on boosting green & low-carbon transformation, achieving sustainable development, and leading Hong Kong towards carbon neutrality.”
Converging international exhibitors and government officials at Eco Expo Asia
This year’s Expo is expected to attract over 300 exhibitors from 11 countries and regions including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Singapore, Germany, Finland, Norway, the Netherlands, the United States and Canada. Several provinces and cities from Mainland China will form pavilions, including the return of Guangzhou and Shenzhen. The Anhui Pavilion will debut with technologies focused on air quality, water treatment and quality management as well as new energy materials and equipment. Supported by Innovation Norway, the debut group participation from Norway will showcase technologies for water quality management and waste treatment.
The Eco Asia Conference, held during the first three days of the exhibition, will provide a platform for government officials, industry experts and business leaders from various countries and regions to discuss key trends, including energy projections, green building technologies and the circular economy. The conference is supported by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, National Development and Reform Commission, and Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China. Officials from Belt and Road countries, including Malaysia, Laos, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, Brunei and Vietnam will also attend the conference.
Three focal points in pursuit of dual carbon goals
To achieve dual carbon goals, the development of green energy and green transportation has become a global trend. New energy is a focus of this year’s exhibition and many innovative new energy-related products and technologies will be featured. For example, Hong Kong’s first hydrogen fuel cell street-cleaning vehicle will be showcased at the booth hosted by the Environment and Ecology Bureau in conjunction with other HKSAR government units.
The Inner Mongolia Pavilion will showcase cutting-edge solutions in environmental protection, ecological restoration and new energy. Innovative technical solutions, such as hydrogen purification systems and carbon capture and storage equipment, will be highlighted at the Canada Pavilion. In the Green Transportation zone, GMI Motors Ltd and first-time exhibitor Xiamen Golden Dragon Bus Co. Ltd will present a variety of electric vehicles. Chun Yang International (HK) Company Ltd will demonstrate fast charging and mini wall-mounted EV chargers catering to different needs.
Waste Management and Circular Economy is a second focal point of the Expo, with exhibitor Smart Farming HK Ltd showcasing fish feed made from food waste and a sustainable fish farming concept. First-time exhibitor Nanda (Hong Kong) Technology Corporation Ltd will feature a food waste biodegradation machine that can process up to 36,000 kg of food waste per day.
The Sustainable Restaurant Awards 2024, the first of its kind in Hong Kong’s F&B industry to recognise restaurants based on their carbon footprint, will be presented on the third day of the Expo.
The third focal point of the Expo is ESG-related services which is experiencing strong demand. Several world-leading certification and consultancy companies will exhibit for the first time, including SGS Hong Kong Ltd, Intertek Testing Services Hong Kong Ltd, TUV Rheinland Hong Kong Ltd and BSI Pacific Ltd to present their testing and certification services as well as ESG consulting and training programmes. ESG AI, an innovative tool launched by China Energy Conservation & Environmental Protection (Hong Kong) Investment Co. Ltd, makes use of big data analysis and other technologies to generate regulatory-compliant ESG reports in one click.
Nurturing talent to inject fresh energy
Eco Expo Asia has long been a platform for start-ups to showcase their latest innovations. Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation will showcase products and technologies from 10 start-ups related to green transport, circular economy and energy efficiency.
In the popular Start-up Zone, exhibitor Ezygreenpak Ltd will demonstrate its patented water-soluble non-woven packaging material that can be completely dissolved in 90°C hot water without leaving any harmful residue. BSF Innovation Ltd’s organic green building powder, consisting of fibre and calcium extracted from insect shells and food waste, can be blended with traditional building materials to make eco-bricks, reducing the manufacturing process carbon emissions by around 40%.
A series of seminars and workshops on Public Day
To encourage residents to adopt green living practices, talks and workshops will be held on the last day of the Expo (2 November), which are free and open to the public. A highlight will be the Dialogue with the Secretary for Environment and Ecology for school students. Experts will share their strategies and experience in tackling extreme weather. The public can also participate in a variety of green workshops and shop for green products at Green Mart.
About HKTDC
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences, and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus.
Background information on Messe Frankfurt
The Messe Frankfurt Group is one of the world’s leading trade fair, congress and event organisers with their own exhibition grounds. With a workforce of some 2,160 people at its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main and in 28 subsidiaries, it organises events around the world. Group sales in financial year 2022 were around €454 million. We serve our customers’ business interests efficiently within the framework of our Fairs & Events, Locations and Services business fields. One of Messe Frankfurt’s key strengths is its powerful and closely knit global sales network, which covers around 180 countries in all regions of the world. Our comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. We are using our digital expertise to develop new business models. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services. Sustainability is a central pillar of our corporate strategy. Here, we strike a healthy balance between ecological and economic interests, social responsibility and diversity.
For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com/sustainability. With its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt (60 percent) and the State of Hesse (40 percent). For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com
