First Global Congress for Maritime Environmental Protection "gmec" in Hamburg: Europe's Green Capital 2011 Combines Economy and Ecology

HAMBURG, Germany, September 2, 2010 - The North German city of Hamburg has been awarded the title "European
Green Capital 2011" by the European Commission. Currently this port city is
giving an insight of how to combine sustainability with successful trading:
at the global maritime environmental congress (gmec), taking place on the 7th
and 8th of September 2010.

In the maritime sector, environmental and climate protection is currently
the dominant topic. Hence the Congress Center Hamburg will be hosting the
first international, industry-wide congress on maritime environmental
protection. At the gmec, high-ranking members of the International Maritime
Organization (IMO), the EU, government bodies as well as port authorities,
classification societies and shipbuilders will discuss the industry's
environmental challenges as well as business opportunities evolving from
environmental awareness. The ultimate goal of the conference is to further
decrease ecologically harmful emissions worldwide, thus reducing the maritime
industry's share in the global emission of CO2 and respirable dust. But also
sustainable waste management and a considerate approach to handling ballast
water are crucial factors for a healthy marine environment
(www.gmec-hamburg.de).

Many of the technologies needed already exist, and this will be shown
during the simultaneous SMM 2010 (shipbuilding, machinery & marine
technology, international trade fair Hamburg), the world's leading
shipbuilding fair. From the 7th to the 10th September and on the grounds of
the Hamburg Messe more than 2000 exhibitors from 58 countries will present
their high-tech solutions to the shipbuilding industry, marine equipment
suppliers and the marine technology industry.

The theme for next year's European Green Capital Hamburg will be
"Responsible Growth". The pulsating, third largest port city of Europe is
going to demonstrate how a metropolitan region with more than 4 million
inhabitants is successfully navigating into the age of sustainability. With
numerous innovative projects that deal with environmental protection and
energy, nature and parks, mobility, consumption and trade, living and urban
development as well as resource protection, Hamburg is going to prove that it
is a pioneer in climate and environment protection - in Europe and beyond.
(www.hamburggreencapital.eu).

    Contact:

    Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH
    Heike Oelze
    Phone: +49-40-3569-2444
    heike.oelze@hamburg-messe.de
    www.hamburg-messe.de
    www.cch.de

    Hamburg Marketing GmbH
    Guido Neumann
    Phone: +49-40-411110-617
    guido.neumann@marketing.hamburg.de
    www.mediarelations.hamburg.de

    Copyright free photos for media use: www.mediaserver.hamburg.de

Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH, Heike Oelze, Phone: +49-40-3569-2444, heike.oelze at hamburg-messe.de; Hamburg Marketing GmbH, Guido Neumann, Phone: +49-40-411110-617