(EnergyAsia, September 14 2010, Tuesday) — Global electronics giant Hitachi Limited, held its environmental sustainability event, the Hitachi Eco Conference 2010, in Singapore early this month through its Singapore-based subsidiary, Hitachi Asia Limited.

Entitled “Conserving Biodiversity through Effort by Public and Private Partnerships”, the conference aimed to raise awareness of Hitachi’s contribution to the biodiversity conservation business through public and private partnerships.

Attending the conference were around 300 delegates from various government bodies, non-governmental organisations, educational institutions and private sector companies.

On display were exhibits featuring the Hitachi Group’s business contributions to a sustainable society, including gas turbines, solar power systems, monorails, smart grid, green IT, and intelligent water systems.

The event’s guest-of-honour was Mah Bow Tan, Singapore Minister for National Development.

Mr Mah said: “I commend Hitachi for organising this conference which provides a useful platform to discuss the issue of biodiversity loss and what more we can do about biodiversity conservation. It is important for the three ‘Ps’ – the public, private and people sectors, to understand the value of biodiversity and the need for its conservation.”

Takashi Hatchoji, executive vice president and executive officer of Hitachi Limited, and chief environmental strategy officer of the Hitachi Group, said:

“The Hitachi Eco Conference is in line with our environmental vision which aims to preserve the environment and promote a sustainable society through prevention of global warming, conservation of resources and preservation of ecosystems.

“With rapid growth in Asia, biodiversity conservation and urban development are key issues we have to face. Hence, public and private partnerships play an active role in achieving a responsible balance with the environment.”

The conference’s keynote speaker was Dr Thomas Eugene Lovejoy, accomplished conservationist and biodiversity chair at the H John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment in Washington, DC.

Speaking on “Climate Change and the Living Planet”, Dr Lovejoy said:

“We in the end depend on the biological infrastructure of the planet and it has enormous, virtually endless, potential to benefit humanity – as long as it remains robust. The planet has to be managed as a biophysical system, and the place to start is to ‘regreen’ the Emerald Planet.”

Following the keynote speech, the event was divided into two seminars: “Importance and Efforts for Biodiversity”; and “The Role of Government and Corporations in Biodiversity Conservation”.

Among the industry experts presenting were Taryn Mead, biologist at the Design Table for the Biomimicry Guildin (US), Zakri Hamid, science advisor to the Malaysian government, Prof Somsak Panha, Chulalongkorn University (Thailand) and officials from Japan and Singapore.

The event was the follow-up to last year’s inaugural Hitachi Eco Conference 2009, which was themed “Sustaining our Environment through Technologies and Collaboration”