National Environment Conference to focus on ideas for a green future
| Danial Norjidi |
THE National Environment Conference is set to take centre stage once more, this time with its 2014 edition on August 13 at The Empire Hotel & Country Club, placing its focus on smart ideas, strategies and possibilities for a green future.
This was revealed yesterday in a press conference by organisers Asia Inc Forum at the Radisson Hotel, where an overview was given on the upcoming environment conference.
Asia Inc Forum is organising the conference in partnership with Total E&P Borneo BV, Butra Heidelberg Cement, Baiduri Bank and Brunei Press.
The National Environment Conference 2014 will feature invited international experts leading discussions on smart ideas on transitioning to renewable energy, creating ‘eco-smart’ cities and how young people can make a difference.
“It will be an excellent opportunity for all stakeholders interested in environmental sustainability to learn, exchange ideas, network and discover new opportunities,” said Dato Paduka Timothy Ong, the Chairman of Asia Inc Forum.
Group photo of the organisers with corporate partners, collaborators and supporting NGOs. – PHO-TOS: DANIAL NORJIDI
Dato Paduka Timothy Ong speaking at the event
Representatives from JASTRe and Daikyo signing the agreement for the ‘Trash to Treasure Campaign’ as Nanette Ramos from Asia Inc Forum looks on
Speaking at the event yesterday, he highlighted that the conference will, as in previous years, continue the effort of raising environmental awareness in the Sultanate, and shared that the attendees for the conference will feature a wide cross-section of Bruneian community, including members of government, SMEs, corporations and NGOs.
The conference which carries the theme ‘Brunei’s Green Future: Ideas, Strategies, Possibilities’, is set to feature prominent speakers in a dynamic interactive format.
International guest speakers include Milo Sjardin of Bloomberg New Energy Finance; Edwin Khew, Chairman of Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore; and Erin Schrode, co-founder of Teens Turning Green from the USA. Asia Inc Forum is in the process of bringing another international speaker on board to add to the list, while a number of local experts will also be featuring as speakers for the event.
One of the expected key discussions for the conference will be centred on energy transition, specifically the transition from oil and gas to clean energy, while Erin Schrode will also be discussing the importance of youth involvement in environmental issues.
The conference will also include master classes on what an ecologically smart lifestyle means and business opportunities arising from meeting environmental challenges.
It was also revealed during yesterday’s press conference that there will be a ‘Trash to Treasure’ campaign taking place in the run-up to the National Environment Conference.
The campaign, supported by the Ministry of Development and Daikyo Recycling Company, will work to enable the Bruneian community to recycle and help raise funds for leading NGOs for their green projects. The campaign involves three Bruneian environmental NGOs, namely the Beach Bunch, SCOT and Green Brunei.
The campaign invites people to separate their trash by material types for recycling, with points given per kg of paper, plastic bottles/containers, aluminium, electronics and metal. Open to all Bruneian households and business establishments, the campaign has two collection dates, specifically June 22 and August 10 at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium from 9am to 3pm. The top three recyclers will win prizes as well as an invitation to the National Environment Conference.
All proceeds from the campaign will be donated to participating NGOs for their green projects.
In addition, there will also be a competition called the ‘Switch 4 Tomorrow Challenge’, which will invite students to create a video advertisement to promote energy-saving and energy-efficient practices. The Challenge is a joint effort between Asia Inc Forum and the Science, Technology and Environment Partnership (STEP) Centre under the Ministry of Education. This is open to students in secondary and tertiary levels in Brunei.
The National Environment Conference is open to the public and registration with the early bird rate is now open. For more information or to register for the conference, the Trash to Treasure Campaign or the Switch 4 Tomorrow Challenge, visit www.asiaincforum.com or call Low Leng May at 2226555 ext 10.
Source: http://borneobulletin.brunei-online.com.bn/?p=219388