The 2018 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum and Exhibition (MIECF) will be held from April 12 to 14, with the theme “Shaping of Eco-Cities for Inclusive Green Economy”. The event is organised by the Macao Special Administrative Region and co-organised by the governments of the Pan-Pearl River Delta region, with the support from the official supporting organisations including the National Development and Reform Commission of the People’s Republic of China, the country’s Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the Ministry of Environmental Protection.  Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) and Macao’s Environmental Protection Bureau will be the host co-ordinators for the event.
     This edition of MIECF will continue its role as a ‘green platform’ for the international community, providing a way to explore further co-operation opportunities and foster the development of the environmental industry. In particular, the event is positioned to link up green enterprises from countries and places along the Belt and Road, and in the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, as well as Portuguese-speaking countries and European countries. 
     MIECF, which held its first annual event in 2008, is now entering its eleventh edition as an established green expo acknowledged by the environmental industry worldwide. The event has been recognised by the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) as a “UFI Approved Event” since 2011. MIECF also received the Macao Convention and Exhibition Association’s “Excellence Conference and Exhibition Award” at the end of 2017, showing that the industry recognises the effective role played by MIECF. 
     The 2017 MIECF had an expo floor area of more than 16,900 square metres and attracted 456 exhibitors from 17 countries and regions. A total of 44 contracts were arranged for signing on-site during the trade show, and 273 business-matching sessions were held in the Green Business Matching Zone. The 2017 edition also featured eight forum sessions as well as a special discussion session, involving an aggregate of 55 speakers that were respectively either pioneers in the environmental industry, or corporate leaders or policymakers worldwide. The talks were themed around innovative green policies, manufacturers’ commercial strategies, coastal and maritime tourism, and green architecture. 
     The 2018 MIECF focuses on promoting green development. The event features Christiana Figueres as its keynote speaker, current Vice-Chair of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy and former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. She will share her thoughts with the audience regarding global environmental issues and major trends of sustainable development, as well as the growth potential of eco-cities and the green economy. The Green Forum features several sessions respectively focusing on regional eco-development, innovation in green finance and sustainable development. The Pan-Pearl River Delta Region Session will remain as part of the Green Forum, which aims at building up the collaboration and network between green enterprises from the Pan-PRD region and their counterparts worldwide. 
     Products and technologies that are used in coping with air, water and soil pollution and in building eco-cities will be the highlights among a wide range of exhibits at the Green Showcase of the 2018MIECF. The show floor of the event will feature a Pan-Pearl River Delta zone, as well as a new zone that is designated for green products and solutions from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The new zone addresses the issue of prioritising green development, one of the major regional cooperation initiatives for the Greater Bay Area.
     During the three-day event, business matching and networking services for enterprises will also be available on the “Online Business Matching Service Platform” (http://bm.ipim.gov.mo).