Macau, China, March 24, 2026 (Lusa) - More than 50 delegates and companies from Portuguese-speaking countries will be present at this year's Macau International Environmental Co-operation Forum & Exhibition 2026 (MIECF), organisers indicated on Tuesday.
The president of the Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), Che Weng Keong, highlighted that Portuguese-speaking countries have been playing an "increasingly relevant role in international cooperation on environment and sustainability," with the event being an opportunity to strengthen the link between Macau and these nations.
Organised by the government of the Macau Special Administrative Region, MIECF takes place between March 26 and 28 at the exhibition area of the Venetian Macau casino-hotel, with the theme "Low Carbon and Zero Waste Cities: Embarking on Global Collaboration."
The 2026 edition will bring together more than 350 exhibitors from 12 countries and regions, including leading companies from the energy and environmental sectors of mainland China, Macau, Hong Kong, Portuguese-speaking countries, Spanish-speaking countries, and Southeast Asia.
"Last year we had 26 exhibitors from the Portuguese-speaking countries and this year we will have more than 50, from areas such as green finance, recycling, and other ecological fields. As a platform between China and these countries, it is important for Macau to attract more exhibitors to increase cooperation," Che indicated at the press conference presenting the event.
The event includes forums, exhibitions, thematic business matching sessions, and environmental awareness activities, with an expected increase of about 20% in international participation compared to the previous year.
Present will be, for example, the president of the Portuguese Environment Agency, José Pimenta Machado, and the economics professor from the University of Brasília and former Vice President of the Private Sector of the Development Bank of Latin America, Jorge Arbache.
China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), approved this month, presents projects to intensify the country's ecological transition, focusing on reducing carbon emissions across its entire economy by 7% to 10% by 2035, compared to 2025, the year of the country's peak emissions.
The government of China previously promised to reach the peak of its carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.
The five-year plan also envisages combating the country's desertification, consolidating leadership in the electric vehicle industry, reaching a percentage of more than 30% non-fossil energy, and expanding the use of solar and wind energy sources.
The director of the Environmental Protection Bureau of Macau (DSPA), Ip Kuong Lam, emphasised on Tuesday that the territory is preparing the new phase of the Macau Environmental Protection Planning (2026-2030), centred on "reducing carbon emissions" and "reducing pollution."
The official also highlighted concrete measures in progress, namely in the supply of electrical energy and land transport.
"It is planned to increase the proportion of clean energy in electricity purchased from abroad to 50%, with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050," he said.
NCM/RYOL // AYLS
Lusa
