Ambrose So Shu Fai, director-general of the International Forum on Clean Energy (IFCE) (Macau) and vice-chairman and CEO of SJM Holdings, said on Wednesday that the IFCE would “enhance the international community’s confidence in China’s commitment to the Paris Agreement”.
So also said that the forum would engage Macau in the green development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA), as well as uphold the successful implementation of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle and promote energy transition and the high quality development of energy.
So made the remarks in a speech at the opening ceremony of the 8th IFCE at Sands Cotai Central.
“This is a special and meaningful year as we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 20th anniversary of Macau’s return to the motherland,” So noted.
So also pointed out that with the support of the central government, Macau has enjoyed “political stability, economic prosperity and social harmony” since its return to the motherland in 1999, which made the Macau Special Administrative Region (MASR) a successful “demonstration” of the implementation of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle.
In responding to the national strategy of developing the GBA and promoting the “unique role” and the geographical advantage of Macau, the forum is being held under the theme of “Promote the Green Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, Stride towards a New Era of High Quality Energy Development”, So added.
The two-day forum also aims to discuss and propose a “roadmap” for the green development of the GBA, contributing to the development of Macau and the mainland, So noted.
Elliott Harris, assistant secretary-general for Economic Development and chief economist of the United Nations (UN), said that the UN aimed to accelerate energy transition across the world, adding that countries should expand their renewable power capacity and encourage global investment in renewable and energy-efficient sectors.
In particular, countries should increase the use of renewables in heating, cooling and transport, and by doing so, Harris said he believed they could help set out a “predicable path” towards meeting the targets of the Paris Agreement.
IFCE (Macau) Executive Director-General He Yu pointed out that Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau should take the lead in implementing the 2050 “net zero” carbon emission target set in the Paris Agreement, among the world’s bay areas and city clusters.
So noted that the forum was founded in 2012 by a group of Hong Kong and Macau members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), experts and scholars with the aim of promoting and deepening exchanges, coordinating clean energy efforts, energy conservation and environmental protection among countries around the world. So is a former member of the CPPCC National Committee.
According to the Macau Post Daily, the forum is also dedicated to facilitating China’s participation in global governance in the fields of energy, climate and the environment, and also in the implementation of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as China’s involvement with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), So added.
CPPCC National Committee Vice Chairman Edmund Ho Hau Wah, Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Macau Deputy Director Yao Jian, Foreign Ministry Deputy Commissioner in Macau Wang Dong and several dozen other officials, experts and scholars attended the opening ceremony.
According to a statement by the organiser, more than 200 representatives from government, industry and academia from Macau, the mainland, Hong Kong and elsewhere attended the opening ceremony. The forum ends on Thursday.
