Under the patronage of His Excellency the Minister of Environment, Mohamad al Machnouk, the Fourth International Conference for Environmental Technologies, Sustainability and Clean Energy, “EcOrient” began on Wednesday, June 3 at "Biel" in downtown Beirut. The conference is organized by IFP Group in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Paris (CCI). The conference which will run concurrently with the 20th International Construction Trade Exhibition for Lebanon and the Middle East, "Project Lebanon 2015", is supported by the Order of Engineers and Architects of Beirut, the Lebanese Solar Energy Society (LSES), the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation, and the Lebanon Green Building Council (LGBC), as well as the American Society for Heating and Refrigeration – Lebanese branch, and the Arab Sustainability Association.
The conference opened with a welcome note by the Chairman of IFP Lebanon, Mr. Albert Aoun, followed by a word from the Director of the SDPD, ESCWA, Lebanon, Ms. Roula Majdalani, and later a word by Chairman of the Middle East & North Africa Green Building Council Network, Jordan, Mr. Abdullah Bdeir, and President of the Order of Engineers & Architects of Beirut, Mr. Khaled Chehab, before Minister Machnouk gave a speech applauding these types of events and environmental initiatives. The conference then commenced with the first of 4 seminars, in the presence of officials from government agencies and with the participation of more than 20 speakers from experts representing major environmental organizations, and leading institutions in the field of clean and alternative energy, to representatives of scientific institutes and research institutions of environmental studies.
The first session moderated by Senior Environment Advisor at the Institutional Strengthening of MOE, Mr. Ghassan Sayyah, was devoted to discuss the "National Strategy for Development and Sustainability".
The second session moderated by Board Member of the Lebanese Solar Energy Society (LSES) and Lebanon Green Building Council (LGBC), Mr. Walid El Baba, discussed the topic “Towards a Sustainable Future: renewable as sustainable energy & cleantech technologies”, which featured the Italian experience by Mr. Sebastiano Del Monte of the Italian Ministry of Economy & Development, in the presence of Corinne Block-Ragiun, CEO of Cerway, France, Ms. Majida Mcheik, Head of Program Department at the Ministry of Agriculture in Lebanon, Mr. Hani Al Naghi, Transport Expert, Mr. Aram Yeretzian, Archtect and former President of LGBC Lebanon, and Mr. Naji Tannous, Business Unit Manager at ARZ Lebanon. .
The Third Session addressed a “Sustainable Energy for All” moderated by Mr. Pierre Khoury, Director of Lebanon Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC). Attending were Mr. Mongi Bida, First Economic Affairs Officer in the Energy Section in SDPD, Dr. Elias Kinab, Associate Professor LU, Energy Expert, Foster in Med Program, Center of Innovation & Technology, CIT/IRI, Aline Farajian , Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Beirut and Mount Lebanon, and Dr. Hassan Harajli, Director, CEDRO, UNDP – Lebanon.
The conference day concluded with the fourth session addressing Affordable Housing, moderated by Mr. Rabih Khairallah, President of the Lebanese Green Building Council, Lebanon, and featured by Ms. Maysa Shaqaqha, Project Engineer on the WESMART Project, Green Building Council in Jordan, Mr. Rabih Osta, Area General Manager, Phoenix Energy – Member of Indevco group in Lebanon and Mr. Namir Cortas, President of the Real Estate Association of Lebanon.
At the end of the conference sessions, attendees and participants went on a tour around Project Lebanon and Energy Lebanon Exhibition.
ifpinfo
3 June
