Pune Expo 2008 to focus on green tech

Pune Expo 2008, the annual engineering exposition organised by the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA), which begins here from February 28, will focus on green technology.

The five-day event, to be inaugurated by Bharat Forge chairman Baba Kalyani, in fact promises to be carbon neutral and would have seminars and conferences on environment-friendly manufacturing.

Participants from sectors such as engineering, polymers, food processing, wine-making, electronics and consumer durables would display their products and technology. The event would also see participation from services sectors such as banking and finance, and insurance.

"The show has so far remained a place for display of products or technologies. It has the potential to become a serious buyer-seller meet on a global scale once the city has the required infrastructure with a permanent exhibition centre and an international airport," Abhijit Pawar, chairman of the expo committee, said.

The expo is expected to attract about 300 exhibitors and over 150,000 visitors. This is the seventh time the Expo is being held here.

Digant Ojha, who is associated with MCCIA's environment protection initiatives, said the chamber had identified a corporate to buy the carbon emission during the event.

"The approximate carbon emission will be calculated taking into account the average volume of fuel used by the visitors to reach the venue, use of generators and other energy devises among others. The corporate will pay the chamber money equivalent to the price of carbon credit, which would be available if the emission was avoided. This money will be invested by the chamber in activities like tree plantation to generate the carbon credits necessary to offset the emission calculated," Ojha said.