The 136th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair), known as "China's No.1 Fair," has been held for 136 consecutive editions. This year, it covered an exhibition area of 1.55 million square meters with 74,000 booths, spread across 55 sections and 171 specialized zones. For the first time in its history, the Canton Fair has achieved carbon neutrality, marking a new chapter in China's green exhibition practices.
Building on its already 100% green exhibition setup, the Canton Fair neutralized all its carbon emissions by purchasing carbon credits from local emission reduction projects in Guangzhou. This milestone not only highlights the potential of hosting green events but also encourages the industry to shift toward sustainable development.
To further support the fair's carbon neutrality efforts, Guangzhou is planning to introduce the first incentive policy for carbon-neutral exhibitionsin China. Guangzhou Municipal Commerce Bureau and Guangzhou Municipal Ecological and Environment Bureau are jointly promoting the green exhibition concept. Together, they have developed measures to offer policy support to exhibition companies in areas such as carbon accounting, carbon credit purchases, and carbon neutrality certification, thereby driving the adoption and implementation of greenand low-carbon exhibition practices.
Guangzhou has long been dedicated to advancing the low-carbon supply chain. In 2024, the city will initiate the construction of a zero-carbon park, serving as a visualized carbon-inclusive hub. It will also debut Guangzhou's forestry carbon inclusion methodology, filling a policy gap in the city's forestry carbon-sink practices. Moreover, Guangzhou has signed a carbon-inclusive framework agreement with the Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone in Hengqin, aimed at exploring mutual recognition of carbon-inclusive mechanisms and the cross-platform circulation of carbon credits.
Looking ahead, Guangzhou plans to continue exploring green exhibitions and zero-carbon scenarios, with the goal of introducing the guidelines for carbon neutrality at large-scale events in Guangzhou. These guidelines will make it easier to implement carbon neutrality measures while accelerating the development of more zero-carbon scenarios, contributing to the vision of a beautiful Guangzhou and setting an example for cities across China.
Source: Lingnan on the Cloud
