Highlights and images for 1 November 2018

The 2018 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) commenced on Thursday with a closed meeting of the Executive Committee. In the afternoon, a roundtable discussion on “Low-Carbon and Circular Economy for Green Development” took place.Achim Steiner, Administrator, UN Development Programme (UNDP) and CCICED Vice Chairperson, pointed to the findings of the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on 1.5°C (SR15) and the 2030 deadline for achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), underscoring: “time is our greatest enemy.”Vidar Helgesen, Norway’s Special Envoy to the High-level Panel on Building a Sustainable Ocean Economy, and CCICED Vice Chairperson, said the IPCC SR15 has served as “an alarm clock to the world.” He called for “unlocking opportunities for the new economy, rather than locking in the misery of the old economy.”Zhao Yingmin, Vice Minister, Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), China, and CCICED Secretary General, highlighted that the 19th Party Congress had laid out a top-level design to ensure the harmonious co-existence of humans and nature, and recent amendments to China’s constitution to incorporate concepts such as ecological civilization and Beautiful China.Catherine McKenna, Minister, Environment and Climate Change, Canada, and CCICED Executive Vice Chairperson, stressed the need to “do a lot better” with regard to the circular economy, which she said could help meet climate change goals, the SDGs, and future resource needs.Following these opening remarks, roundtable discussions took place on the following themes:

• Challenges and Measures in Creating Innovative Governance Mechanisms;
• The Role of the Business Community in Green Development; and
• Partnership Development for Low-Carbon and Circular Economy.

CCICED’s AGM is convening in Beijing, China under the theme “Innovation for a Green Era.” The meeting will continue until Saturday.

IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided daily digital coverage, daily reports, and summary report from the CCICED 2018 AGM.

Photos by CCICED

L-R: CCICED Secretary-General Zhao Yingmin, Vice Minister, MEE, China; CCICED Executive Vice-Chair Catherine McKenna, Minister, Environment and Climate Change, Canada; CCICED Vice-Chair Achim Steiner, Administrator, UNDP; and CCICED Vice-Chair Vidar Helgesen, Special Envoy to the High-level Panel on Building a Sustainable Ocean Economy, Norway

CCICED Vice-Chair Achim Steiner, UNDP

CCICED Vice-Chair Vidar Helgesen, Norway

Participants at the roundtable discussion

Andrew Steer, President and CEO, World Resources Institute (WRI)

Wang Tianyi, Executive Director and General Manager, China Everbright International Limited

Inger Andersen, Director General, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Peter Bakker, President, World Business Council for Sustainable Development

Félix Poza Peña, Chief Sustainability Officer, Inditex Group

Stephan Sicars, Director, Environment Branch, UN Industrial Development Organization

Participants observing the roundtable discussion

CCICED Special Advisor Dominic Waughray, Head, Centre for Global Public Goods, World Economic Forum

Kathleen McLaughlin, Chief Sustainability Officer and President, Walmart Foundation

Ling Wen, General Manager, China Energy Group

Liu Dashan, Chairman, China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Group

CCICED Special Advisor Galit Cohen, Deputy Director General for Policy and Planning, Ministry of Environmental Protection of the State of Israel

Around the Venue