China

On Wednesday, participants to the Trondheim Conference on Biodiversity heard presentations focusing on “achieving change.” In the afternoon, small groups met to discuss a series of topics selected by the participants. In the evening, a reception hosted by the Norwegian Environment Agency took place at the Sverresborg Folk Museum. Peter White, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, presented perspectives from the private sector. Sol Ortiz García, Mexico, showcased biodiversity mainstreaming as a key strategy for achieving change. Bob Scholes, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, presented on the findings of the IPBES Thematic Assessment on land degradation and restoration. Bernardo Strassburg, International Institute for Sustainability, Brazil, outlined a strategic approach to restoration planning in Brazil. Drawing on examples from multilateral processes, Aleksandar Rankovic, Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI), France, noted that the post-2020 framework should focus on creating the best possible conditions for domestic implementation. A panel discussion then addressed interlinkages among different sectors and the value of taking a “nexus” approach. Luc Bas, IUCN, urged for more investment in nature-based solutions, also as part of the climate change debate. Vera Agostini, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), presented on fisheries' sustainability. María Rivera, Ramsar Convention Secretariat, called for an integrated approach, which entails: linking biodiversity to water; including wetlands under nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change; and increasing cooperation among different focal points. Suneetha Subramanian, United Nations University International Institute for Global Health, called for linking social considerations to the biophysical environment through a set of institutions, and for making the connection between health and biodiversity. In the afternoon, participants heard from Anne Nuorgam, Chair of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, on perspectives and insights from indigenous peoples on the post-2020 framework; and from Keping Ma, Chinese Academy of Sciences, on China's ecological conservation redlining policy. Participants then met in small groups to share their own experiences with a focus on good practices, aiming to identify which changes need to happen and how, on the basis of successes and failures in the implementation of the Aichi targets. Several small groups discussed topics including: voluntary commitments; ecological connectivity; biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction; spatial targets; participatory approaches in species conservation; implementation of Aichi Target 18 on traditional knowledge; and experience with the voluntary peer-review under the Convention on Biological Diversity.

High Level Meeting group photo On Tuesday, participants to the Trondheim Conference on Biodiversity heard opening statements and keynote presentations; discussed the key findings of recent global, regional, and thematic assessments, and their implications for the development of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework; and held roundtable discussions on possible pathways to achieve the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity on "Living in harmony with nature." Henrik Olsen, Saami Parliament, underlined the relevance of traditional knowledge for the entire society, and called for indigenous peoples' involvement in all biodiversity-related processes. Ola Elvestuen, Minister of Climate and Environment, Norway, called for system-wide transformative change to halt the global decline of nature. Maria Claudia Garcia, Vice Minister of Environmental Policies and Normalization, Colombia, announced that Colombia will host the third session of the Open-ended Working Group of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) on the post-2020 framework in July 2020. Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Minister of Environment and Forestry, Indonesia, highlighted biodiversity conservation efforts in her country. Zhai Qing, Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment, China, invited active participation in the “Sharm El-Sheikh to Kunming Action Agenda for Nature and People” towards a realistic post-2020 framework echoing and reinforcing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Cristiana Paşca Palmer, CBD Executive Secretary, stressed the need to scale up financing for nature-based solutions and urged towards focusing on transformative solutions. Anne Larigauderie, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), drew attention to IPBES work to build the knowledge base, and its contribution to inform transformative change and achieve simultaneously SDGs related to food, climate, health, water, and biodiversity. Johan Rockström, University of Potsdam, presented on the interconnected biodiversity and climate challenges. Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UN Environment Programme, stressed that ecosystems are a key ingredient for achieving the SDGs in a world of climate change, and called for a paradigm shift, including through engaging other sectors. The session on recent assessments and their implications for the post-2020 framework featured presentations on: the IPBES Global Assessment on biodiversity and ecosystem services; the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels; the report on the State of the World's Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO); the Global Resources Outlook 2019 by the International Resource Panel; and the World Ocean Assessment from the Regular Process for Global Reporting and Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment. Following the opening session of the Trondheim Conference, a high-level meeting with invited guests was held in parallel. Hosted by Ola Elvestuen, Minister of Climate and Environment, Norway, the meeting focused on the post-2020 framework. It included sessions on biodiversity financing and implementation of the post-2020 framework, and a roundtable multi-stakeholder dialogue on ambitions and actions. In the evening, participants to a high-level dinner discussed issues related to reducing deforestation from globally traded agricultural commodities.

A choral and dance performance brings World Environment Day celebrations to a close. Following the close of the Annual General Meeting, many China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) participants stayed to take part in the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) celebration of World Environment Day, which this year took place in Hangzhou, on the theme of ‘Beat Air Pollution.’ Li Ganjie, Executive Vice Chairperson of CCICED, and Minister of Ecology and Environment, China, chaired the ceremony, which more than 1,100 participants attended. Han Zheng, Vice-Premier, China, delivered a greeting from President Xi Jinping, China, calling for continued global efforts to protect the environment and promote sustainable development. In his message, Xi pledged to continue national development policies that promote the ‘green is gold’ concept to encourage harmony between humans and nature. Li introduced measures taken by China since 2013 in fighting air pollution, including industrial restrictions and promoting clean energy development. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment, China, also launched its ‘blue sky campaign’ and released its Air Quality Improvement Report 2013-18, highlighting many achievements in this regard to date. Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director, UNEP, shared a message from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in which he called on governments to tax pollution, end fossil fuel subsidies, and stop building new coal-fired power plants. Msuya added her own comments, noting the Chinese government’s allocation of more than USD 10 billion from 2013-18 to fight air pollution and stressed that blue skies need protection all around the world.  Ban Ki-moon, President and Chair, Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), and former UN Secretary-General, concurred that air pollution cannot be dealt with alone and called for the solidarity of nations in combating it. Li Haisheng, President, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, presented the newly-released Air Quality Improvement Report 2013-18, explaining achievements and remaining challenges. Other speakers included municipal officials and private individuals, including a former winner of the UN Champions of the Earth award, Jiang Lijuan, an entrepreneur from Chun’an, Zhejiang, who had successfully established a sustainable tourism business in her hometown. In a concluding segment, several other individuals engaged in green development efforts in different parts of China were invited on stage to share their experiences, including: launching a campaign to promote the use of public transport and cycling instead of driving short distances; expanding the use of share-bikes in Hangzhou; increasing the transparency of waste management operations by opening incineration plants to the public for monitoring; and improving pollution monitoring through scientific research into the chemical composition of air and expanding networks of pollution monitoring stations.  Following this, officials presented the ‘2nd China Eco-Civilization Awards’ and the audience was treated to a choral and dance performance to bring the celebrations to a close.

A view of the CCICED AGM 2019 closing plenary. On the third and final day of the 2019 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), delegates went on site visits to two villages in Anji County, Zhejiang Province, for the purpose of learning about Zhejiang’s Green Rural Revival programme. At Dazhuyuan, a model ‘Beautiful Village’ located in the Lingfeng sub-district of Anji, delegates observed local craft industries, and were briefed on the village’s achievements in creating a beautiful rural environment that has attracted tourists and boosted the local economy. At Yu village, located in Tianhuangping town of Anji, local officials briefed delegates on the historical significance of the village in the context of China’s green transformation, explaining that it was here that Xi Jinping, then Party Secretary of Zhejiang Province, had said that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,” which was the basis for the concept of ‘green is gold’. At a working lunch, delegates heard from representatives of China’s National Development and Reform Commission, local Party officials, and the World Resources Institute (WRI) about the current status of rural development in China, including both achievements and remaining gaps, the uneven distribution of population, and the imbalance between urban and rural development. Delegates returned by coach to the Hangzhou International Expo Center for the closing of the CCICED AGM in the afternoon. Delegates addressed the closing, including representatives of the Global Environment Facility, the UN Environment Programme, WRI, and WWF, with the final address being given by Vice-Premier Han Zheng, China, who serves as CCICED Chair. Han expressed commitment to deepening institutional reform in the service of building an eco-civilization, and expressed China’s readiness to engage deeply in global environmental governance, including contributions to the world’s climate and biodiversity challenges, and fulfilment of its role as host of the fifteenth session of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2020. He affirmed China’s full recognition of the Sustainable Development Goals, and expressed support for the role of CCICED in developing recommendations for the government. The meeting was adjourned at 5:57 pm.