Guangzhou is making full efforts to promote "green exhibitions," driving the city's convention and exhibition industry toward sustainable and low-carbon development, as announced during the 17th Solar PV & Energy Storage World Expo 2025held from August 8 to 10 in Guangzhou.
At the expo, Guangdong Hongwei International Convention and Exhibition Group received "Carbon Neutrality Declaration" certificates for five of its exhibitions. Since May of this year, four of its exhibitions have achieved carbon neutrality.
As a co-organizer of the 17th Solar PV & Energy Storage World Expo 2025, the group once again implemented eco-friendly practices: 85% of exhibitors used recyclable materials for booth construction, over 95% of tickets and brochures were paperless, and participants were encouraged to adopt green transportation. Carbon emissions were calculated and offset to complete the carbon-neutral cycle.
The expo emphasizes Guangzhou's commitment to holding exhibitions in an environmentally friendly manner.
Guangzhou ranked as China's second-largest exhibition hub in the first half of 2025, with a diverse exhibition landscape covering automotive, beauty and cosmetics, home furnishings, digital entertainment, medical technology, robotics, jewelry, and food.
From January to June 2025, Guangzhou hosted 155 economic and trade exhibitions, with a total exhibition area of 6.3 million square meters and 7.52 million visits—both historic highs, according to an earlier release from the Guangzhou Commerce Bureau in July.
Multiple measures are being implemented to achieve "carbon neutrality" in exhibitions in Guangzhou.
In a pioneering move, Guangzhou introduced a "carbon neutrality" subsidy policy at the end of 2024, establishing a compensation mechanism to accelerate the green transformation of the exhibition industry.
So far, Guangzhou has facilitated carbon neutrality in several major exhibitions, such as the 2024 Grandeur World Pet Fair, the 30th Dental South China International Expo, and the 51st Jinhan Fair for Home & Gifts. These achievements highlight the exhibition industry's commitment to China's "dual carbon" goals and provide a replicable "Guangzhou model" for the nationwide green transition of the sector.
Reporter | Huang Xinyi
Photo | Guangzhou Commerce Bureau
Editor | Hu Nan, James, Shen He
