Eco Expo Asia hosts virtual gathering

Eco Expo Asia, an annual event that usually takes place in Hong Kong, was held online in November, with 105 virtual exhibitors joining the fair as part of the wider Autumn Sourcing Week (ASWO). The Eco Expo Asia event is co-organized and co-hosted by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. with additional organizing support from the Environment Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government.

The 2020 online edition of Eco Expo provided a place for industry-related information exchange among professionals, government officials and companies in the eco tech sector, says the organizers. More than 2,580 potential buyers of the exhibitors’ products and services participated in business matching and online sourcing, according to Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.

From Nov. 16-27, exhibitors and buyers from the recycling, waste management, green finance, renewable energy, green building and electric transport sectors gathered online to participate in the virtual fair.

“We are delighted that we were able to provide Eco Expo Asia for the industry in a digital format this year, given a physical event wasn’t possible,” says Judy Cheung, deputy general manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK).”In times of rapid change, industry communication is key for businesses to stay up-to-date, connected and effective. This is why the online platform was so warmly welcomed by the industry, as a means to network and engage in much-needed business interactions.”

Cheung says a series of online sessions, helped government representatives from Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong Province, China, outline their latest policies and sustainability goals as part of the conference.

The Secretary for the Environment of the HKSAR government announced a new green energy target to enhance energy performance by six percent within five years, along with an announced $258 million system to subsidize electric vehicle charging infrastructure and Hong Kong-wide campaigns to increase the collection of scrap paper, plastic and food storage recyclables.

Government officials from Guangdong and Macau also provided progress reports on environmental protection work in their regions, and discussed how the industry could find opportunities amid the pandemic crisis.

Other guest speakers and panelists represented companies and institutions including Veolia Asia, New Life Plastics Limited (Hong Kong’s new plastics recycling venture) and the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textile Apparel (HKRITA).

The implementation of United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) in businesses was explored by organizations including the UNESCO Hong Kong Association, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency and the CLP Group.

Those seeking access to presentation and panel discussion recordings can go to this web page.