Messe Frankfurt recently hosted its ISH China show May 18-20 at the New China International Exhibition Center in Beijing. The event was held concurrently with the inaugural Clean Energy Heating Summit, which was designed to accelerate China’s move away from burning coal for heat to cleaner electricity and natural gas in order to clear up its legendary smog problem and reduce the country’s carbon footprint. The three-day event drew 1,300 international exhibitors and 55,000 attendees from around the world to the show’s 1.1 million square feet of exhibit space.

China’s President Xi JinPing showed high levels of concern for the country’s air pollution problems and stressed the necessity of clean energy heating at the 14th Leading Group for Financial and Economic Affairs meeting. Xi also ordered the immediate effect of the “Coal-to-electricity” and “Coal-to-natural-gas” policies to accelerate China’s clean energy heating reforms.

Echoing the president’s environmental incentives, Chinese premier Li KeQiang also urged the importance of increasing ecological environment protection and management efforts at the fifth session of the 12th National People’s Congress. With these combined national initiatives, the Chinese government is determined to eliminate all existing coal combustion and other heat generation units in 3 million families’ homes and replacing it with direct electric or gas heating.

The next ISH China show is set for Sept. 5-7 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre.