The 20th Eco Expo Asia opened today and will run until this Friday.

Themed "Green Innovations for Carbon Neutrality", more than 200 officials from around 44 official delegations from the Chinese Mainland, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Belt & Road (B&R) countries, along with industry elites and experts from the environmental sector, attended to exchange and share experiences and technologies on green innovations.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Secretary for Environment & Ecology Tse Chin-wan said Hong Kong serves as a “super connector” in the global journey towards sustainability. With its unique position as an international city within the Guangdong-Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area and a bridge between the Chinese Mainland and the world, Hong Kong brings together talent, technology and capital to foster collaboration and scale up green innovation.

Mr Tse announced that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Ministry of Ecology & Environment will sign a co-operation agreement on jointly setting up the Belt & Road Green Development Cooperation Hong Kong platform, which will connect the B&R Initiative International Green Development Coalition and promote co-operation between the B&R countries.

He added that the Hong Kong SAR Government will set up the Sustainable Green Development Training Centre next year to nurture talent in environmental protection.

During the launch ceremony, Mr Tse witnessed Director of Environmental Protection Samuel Chui exchange a memorandum of co-operation with the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education. The memorandum aims to establish the East Asia Hub of the Global Sanitation Graduate School in Hong Kong, providing training in water quality management and sewage treatment.

At the opening ceremony, highlights from the second series of Enchanting China produced by the bureau and the Environmental Protection Department, in collaboration with the Center for Environmental Education & Communications of the Ministry of Ecology & Environment, and Beautiful Hong Kong - Mirs Bay produced by the bureau were presented, showcasing the efforts and achievements of the country and the Hong Kong SAR Government in environmental protection and nature conservation.

The expo will be open to the public for free on its final day, to encourage citizens to participate in environmental protection and promote green living, the bureau noted.