Gov’t targets low-carbon growth at MIECF Forum

Macau will prioritize carbon cuts and pollution controls as part of its Environmental Protection Plan for 2026–2030, aligning with national goals, Economy and Finance Secretary Anton Tai Kin Ip said Thursday.

In a keynote address at the opening of the Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum and Exhibition (2026MIECF), Tai positioned the forum as a key platform for green industry growth in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

“As environmental and climate issues grow in global significance, green and low-carbon development has become a shared strategic priority for nations worldwide,” Tai said.

Linking the event to China’s 15th Five-Year Plan – approved at this year’s Two Sessions – he detailed Macau’s commitments under its long-term decarbonization strategy and the forthcoming 2026-2030 plan, which is due for finalization this year.

“Guided by the Long-term Decarbonization Strategy of Macao and the Environmental Protection Plan for Macao (2026–2030) […] we will prioritize carbon reduction and pollution control in our environmental planning, make concrete progress in green transformation, support the national vision of a Beautiful China, and implement the Action Plan for Building a ‘Beautiful China’ Pilot Zone in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area,” Tai stated.

Tai said he expects the forum’s high-level conferences, green forums, project showcases, and business matching sessions to foster “pragmatic partnerships and projects” to build Macau into a “green, livable and sustainable leisure city.”

“Through these efforts, we aim to play our part in the development of the regional ecological civilization and contribute to China’s high-quality development goals,” Tai said.

Pledging deeper ties between Macau and the Mainland, Zhao Yingmin, president of the BRI International Green Development Coalition and a Ministry of Ecology and Environment representative, echoed the call in his keynote.

Zhao said the ministry would “work with the Macau SAR government to strengthen policy coordination, promote standard integration, implement cooperative projects, and jointly build a world-class Greater Bay Area in terms of the ecological environment.”

To that end, he pledged to align China’s 15th Five-Year Plan with Macau’s third plan, focusing on solid waste disposal, marine protection, air quality improvement, and climate action.

Zhao also endorsed Macau’s Belt and Road green initiatives.

Wang Peng, director general of the Department of Energy Conservation and Resource Utilization at China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, highlighted the sector’s scale in his address. He noted that the environmental protection equipment manufacturing industry’s annual output value nears RMB1 trillion.