Over 25,000 visitors came to see the latest in environmental technologies, products, and services presented by exhibitors from Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, the Republic of Korea, Indonesia, and India. The fair, which was held concurrently with the 19th International Engineering and Technology Fair (IETF), also showcased corporate social responsibility programs in the private sector, projects of development organizations, and institutional profiles of the APO, India’s Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, National Productivity Council (NPC), and Confederation of Indian Industry, the joint organizers of the EPIF 2011.

At the joint inaugural ceremony of the IETF and EPIF, congratulatory addresses were delivered by HE Hideaki Domichi, Ambassador of Japan to India, and Chairperson of the Preparatory Committee for the EPIF, Vice Chairperson of the APO Green Productivity Advisory Committee (GPAC), and Senior Executive Advisor of Teijin Ltd. Takashi Yamagishi. In the same program, Chairperson of the Committee for Establishment of the Eco-products Database, Vice Chairperson of the GPAC, and Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo Dr. Ryoichi Yamamoto presented the Eco-products Directory 2011 to HE Anand Sharma, Minister of Commerce and Industry of India.

Minister Sharma, in his inaugural address at the EPIF, acknowledged the significance of the fair in promoting eco-consciousness among Indian businesses and hoped that the mutually beneficial relationship developed through this EPIF between Indian and Japanese enterprises would be sustained in the future. Later in the afternoon of the 10 February, Minister Sharma and Ambassador Domichi led the ribbon-cutting ceremony in Hall 18 to open the EPIF 2011 to the public. Witnessing the ceremony were HE Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of Foreign Trade of the United Arab Emirates, Chairperson Yamagishi, and APO Secretary-General Ryuichiro Yamazaki.

The parallel International Conference on Green Productivity for Sustainable Energy and Environment, organized jointly by the APO and NPC, was attended by about 150 international and local participants. Welcome addresses were given by India NPC Director General N.C. Vasudevan and Secretary-General Yamazaki. Japan’s Ministry of the Environment and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, key players in the promotion of GP in the Asia-Pacific region, were represented by Councillor Yukio Kato and Director Yu Murata, respectively. In his keynote address at the conference, EPIF Convenor Suresh Prabhu said that combining innovation and regulation is key to achieve energy efficiency. Chief Patron of the EPIF 2011 J.N. Godrej stressed that economic growth must be inclusive so that the benefits of development are felt by the larger part of society, and that a life cycle carbon analysis approach in evaluating greenhouse gas emissions of products would be necessary.

At the closing of the conference on 11 February, Chairman of the Waste Management and Recycling Association of Singapore (WMRAS) Guah Eng Hock received the EPIF flag in a ceremonial handover from GPAC Chairperson Teisuke Kitayama. The EPIF 2012 is being planned by Singapore to serve as a global platform for showcasing Asia’s and international economies’ commitment to the environment.

Please see the List of VIPs attended at the EPIF2011 is here»

Please see the 「IETF2011 Fair News：Ｄａｙ－１」 issued by CII here»
Please see the 「IETF2011Fair News：Ｄａｙ－２」 issued by CII here»
Please see the 「IETF2011Fair News：Ｄａｙ－３」 issued by CII here»

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The meeting was attended by GPAC executives and members, government officials, and representatives of relevant organizations and the media from around the region. APO Secretary-General Ryuichiro Yamazaki welcomed the attendees and emphasized the importance of GP activities to the APO, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary since establishment in 1961. GPAC Chairperson Teisuke Kitayama opened the meeting with remarks on current global environmental issues and the need to expedite actions to support sustainable development and green business. Kitayama also pointed out the need to strengthen the competitiveness of environmentally friendly Japanese products, technologies, and services in global markets while contributing to sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

The meeting heard reports on the publication of the Eco-products Directory 2011; a summary of the Eco-products International Fair (EPIF) 2010 in Jakarta by the APO Secretariat; and final preparations for the EPIF 2011 in New Delhi by Environmental Division Director M.J. Pervez of the National Productivity Council, India. A proposal for hosting the EPIF 2012 in Singapore was also presented by the Waste Management and Recycling Association of Singapore and Enterprise Promotion Centre (EPC). “Singapore hosted the EPIF 2006, and a number of environmental policies and activities have been implemented in Singapore since then. After six years, Singapore now intends to act as a catalyst to unite the APO region in the pro-environment movement that goes along with enhancement of the green business focus,” stated EPC Director Jan Tan.

GPAC Vice Chairperson Takashi Yamagishi, Senior Executive Advisor of Teijin Ltd., recognized the efforts made for the EPIF 2011 and urged further cooperation to make it an event that would unite the Asian region to reconcile economic growth and environmental preservation while promoting the latest environmental products, technologies, and services available in Japan. He also praised the proposal by Singapore to bring together all APO member countries to work for a more sustainable, greener Asia. “Last June, the asteroid explorer Hayabusa (falcon) finally returned to the earth after an approximately six billion-kilometer round-trip journey to the asteroid Itokawa, making the first physical contact with the asteroid and bringing back samples to Earth. I was very impressed by that exhilarating achievement and would like to point out that progress in science and technology along with international cooperation will be essential for the development of Japan in the years to come,” stated Yamagishi.

GPAC Vice Chairpersons Yukio Yanase of Orix Corporation, Hajime Bada of JFE Holdings, Inc., and Tsuneaki Taniguchi of the Japan Productivity Center also recognized the important role of the GPAC in GP activities and stressed the need to support the APO in efforts to foster green cooperation and green business in fast-growing Asian markets.

Please refer to the details of the International Conference here»

For Tentative Program for the the International Conference here»

Please find the Registration form here»

The list of exhibitors which includes Japan Pavilion, organized by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and sponsored by the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, focuses on energy conservation and renewable energy has been updated.

Please see the complete Exhibitor List here=＞ ]]> http://www.apo-epif.org/2011/announcements/646.html/feed http://www.apo-epif.org/2011/announcements/590.html http://www.apo-epif.org/2011/announcements/590.html#comments Wed, 15 Dec 2010 07:39:48 +0000 apoepif http://www.apo-epif.org/2011/?p=590 The 12th Eco-products 2010 concluded successfully on 11 December 2010 at the Tokyo International Exhibition Center (Tokyo Big Sight) in Japan. The three-day event was organized by the Japan Environmental Management Association for Industry and Nikkei Inc., with 721 exhibitors and 182,510 visitors from all over the world. The Asian Productivity Organization (APO) participated in the event to promote its 7th Eco-products International Fair (EPIF 2011) to be held in New Delhi, 10–12 February 2011, and to raise awareness of the APO’s activities to improve productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.

The APO booth attracted a wide range of Japanese and international visitors who learned about efforts to promote Green Productivity through previous EPIFs in APO’s member countries, the upcoming EPIF 2011 in New Delhi in February 2011, the Eco-products Directory 2010, and other APO projects in the Asia-Pacific region.

On the first day of Eco-products 2010, Mr. Teisuke Kitayama, Chairperson of the APO’s Green Productivity Advisory Committee (GPAC) and Chairman of the Board of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, visited the APO booth to offer encouragement. On the morning of 11 December, former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama along with GPAC Vice Chairperson Dr. Ryoichi Yamamoto dropped by to appraise APO efforts to act as a platform for enhancing environmental and green businesses in the Asia-Pacific region. In addition to those VIPs and company executives representing GPAC members, staff manning the APO booth remained busy receiving numerous other visitors interested in Green Productivity activities.

From L-R: APO Secretary-General Yamazaki, Mr. Kitayama, Chairperson of APO’s GPAC and Chairman of the Board of SMBC, Director Miyawaka, APO Industry Department	From L-R: Emeritus Prof Yamamoto and Former Prime Minister Hatoyama
APO/EPIF2011 booth at Eco Products 2010	APO/EPIF2011 booth at Eco Products 2010

The APO will join the event as an exhibitor to present our organization’s activities, including the upcoming EPIF 2011 to be held in New Delhi and Eco-products Directory. The APO booth will be located in East Hall 1 (I-16) and distribute APO and EPIF brochures, the Eco-products Directory, and other publications.

The EPIF is one of the most successful APO projects undertaken as part of its GP initiative. As the largest international environmental fair in Asia, the EPIF features the most advanced environmental technologies, provides opportunities for the exploration of green business collaborations, and promotes public awareness of environmentally friendly products and services. The first EPIF was held in Malaysia in 2004, with each successive one, in Thailand (2005), Singapore (2006), Vietnam (2008), the Philippines (2009), Indonesia (2010) setting new records in scope and size. The seventh EPIF will be held in New Delhi, with the theme Green Productivity for Sustainable Energy and Environment from 10 to 12 February 2011.

The list will be revised from time to time.

Please see the complete Exhibitor List here.

APO Secretary-General Shigeo Takenaka (2nd/L) explains EPIF 2011 to reporters at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi 14 July 2010. (L-R;) DIPP Joint Secretary Anjali Prasad; Takenaka; DIPP Secretary R.P. Singh; Teijin Senior Advisor Takashi Yamagishi, NPC Director General N. C. Vasudevan. APO/Sayuri Watanabe

These days, not a day goes by when you don’t hear the term “eco-” something. Particularly in Japan, considered a global leader in energy efficiency, everything from eco-products and “eco-cars” to “eco-bags” are lauded amid calls to protect the environment – not to mention to tighten purse strings in today’s tough times.

To push forward APO efforts to further deepen people’s awareness for an eco- conscious society, the Secretariat has been active to promote eco-products for sustainable productivity.

Its major undertaking in the field is the Eco-products International Fair, or EPIF, which showcases state-of-the-art environmental technology, products, services, and activities. Government entities, businesses, private organizations, and the general public are brought together in a bid to realize sustainability that is in harmony with the environment.

Since the first EPIF was held in Malaysia in 2004, it has continued to expand in scale, and is now the largest international environmental fair in Asia. More than 90,000 visitors turned up for the 6th EPIF held in Indonesia this past March.

EPIF 2011 has now officially been announced. The fair will be held in New Delhi, India 3-6 March 2011. A news conference was held in Delhi 14 July as an official curtainraiser to begin the countdown for the seventh fair of the series. Local and international media, as well as government officials, assembled at India Habitat Centre as R. P. Singh, Secretary of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry, gave welcoming remarks, stating the country’s commitment to protect the environment with the hosting of EPIF 2011.

“The EPIF 2011 would help create mass awareness about eco-products and technologies and promote the acceptance of such products in the country,” Singh told the conference. Noting the major presence of Japanese companies in Indian economic sectors, he called for further Japanese investment in his country.

“I take this opportunity to welcome more Japanese companies to India to invest in green products, services and solutions, and partner with Indian businesses to aid in our sustainable growth path,” he said.

“It’s the perfect opportunity for the APO’s Green Productivity Advisory Committee (GPAC) and the Indian business community to work together, for a better environment for the future,” GPAC Preparatory Committee Chairperson Takashi Yamagishi, also Senior Executive Advisor to Teijin Ltd, told reporters at the news conference. APO Secretary-General Shigeo Takenaka predicted that the 2011 EPIF would have a great impact on the second-largest economy among APO member countries.

Prior to the news conference, Takenaka and Yamagishi paid a courtesy call on Anand Sharma, Minister of Commerce and Industry, and Farooq Abdullah, Minister for New and Renewable Energy following the event. “The ministers were very forthcoming and clear in expressing their commitment to the EPIF venture,” Takenaka said upon his return to the Secretariat.

“The overall feeling we got in India was very good. With great expectations, we’re all looking forward to the EPIF opening in March 2011.”