Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:

First of all, on behalf of the Macao SAR Government, I would like to welcome all of you visiting Macao and participating in the "2011 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum and Exhibition”.

As environmental pollution, climate change, energy conservation and emission reduction become important environmental issues of the world, everyone living in this global village will no doubt have to face this challenge and combat with shared responsibility together. Recently we have witnessed environmental disasters occurred in different parts of the world, reminding us that we have no choice but to cherish our valuable Earth environment.

In recent years, with global climate change, many countries and regions are formulating strategic energy conservation and emissions reduction policies. The Macao SAR Government will try our best to facilitate and demonstrate the low carbon urban development in coping with our national emission reduction policies and the "Kyoto Protocol", which is applicable in Macao Special Administration Region.

In 2008 the State Council issued "The Outline of the Plan for the Reform and Development of the Pearl River Delta. (2008-2020)" and positioned the Macao Special Administrative Region as a "World tourism and leisure center”.

Macao will take this opportunity to enforce the environmental and sustainable development strategies. According to our blueprint towards the world tourism and leisure center, Macao will continuously improve the environment, provide a low carbon, convenient, comfortable, pleasant space for living and activity through integration of urban and environmental planning, transport and environmental infrastructures to achieve the above goals and objectives. Initiatives include gradual introducing emission reduction facilities, research and applications of renewable energy, promotion of eco-friendly consumption, improving our environmental infrastructure, amendment of environmental legislations and strengthening pollution control for building a quality living environment. At the same time the Government will strengthen cooperation with neighboring regions. Through joint pollution prevention and control, promotion of environmental protection industry, we commit to develop Macao into a world low carbon tourism and leisure city in pace with building a quality regional living environment.

To achieve the above goals and to fulfill the needs, the Macao SAR Government will continuously improve the work of environmental protection. We have been preparing the first Environmental Planning of Macao until 2020, with the vision of “Building a low carbon Macao, creating green living together”. Besides, main recent environmental policies include introducing tax preference for environmental light vehicle and the establishment of "Environmental Protection and Energy Conservation Fund", which will finance local industries and social organizations to introduce air quality, energy and water conservation projects. These two measures will improve further the environmental quality and demonstrate our efforts to combat the climate change.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We will actively participate in regional cooperation, especially in cooperation with Guangdong and Hong Kong. With the progress of the "Special Plan to Build a Quality Living Area" and the signing of "Guangdong-Macao Cooperation Framework Agreement"，Macao has been given a valuable opportunity to break through our geographical limitations, to demonstrate the implementation of the plan, to work with our regional partners, to enforce recycling economy and the development of environmental protection industry towards a high quality and low carbon living environment.

Taking this opportunity, on behalf of the Macao SAR Government, I would like to express once again our thanks to the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People’s Republic of China.

Finally, I wish the "2011 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum and Exhibition" a great success.

Thank you!