China

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.

CCICED 2019 AGM participants consult in the great hallway of the Hangzhou International Convention Center. The 2019 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) entered its second day of discussions in Hangzhou, China.  Li Ganjie, Minister for Ecology and Environment, China, opened the proceedings in the morning, and CCICED advisors introduced an issues paper and eight draft policy recommendations, which addressed, inter alia, green consumption, the use of digital technologies, environmental protection of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, climate change, institutional design, biodiversity conservation, marine sustainable development, and China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).  Delegates heard about China’s efforts to build an ecological civilization, including: reorganizing the work of the provincial and local-level environmental bureaus across the country; enhancing environmental management and monitoring in coastal zones and watersheds; combating air pollution; and encouraging the private sector to help generate momentum for green development.  Many delegates commended China for its forward-thinking domestic policies, and encouraged action to support countries in meeting their international commitments under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They expressed strong support for working with China on greening the BRI. In the afternoon, delegates heard report-backs from the six parallel open forums that had taken place the previous day. Participants suggested that China’s ambitious domestic actions to address air pollution could be a model of climate action for the rest of the world, and some urged China to prioritize renewable energy and avoid new investments in coal in BRI countries. Many also mentioned China’s ‘ecological redline’ policy as an example of domestic practice that others can learn from, noting, as well, its achievements in reforestation and waterway clean-up. They urged China to provide capacity building to BRI countries for nature conservation.  Summarizing the discussions of the day, Andrew Steer, CEO of the World Resources Institute, emphasized the importance of transparency in the BRI, highlighting its potential to be ‘truly transformative’ for world development.

A view of the opening plenary of CCICED 2019 AGM in Hangzhou, China The 2019 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) opened at the Hangzhou International Expo Center, China, on Sunday. The meeting began in the morning with the presentation in plenary of research findings from eight CCICED Special Policy Studies, conducted under the aegis of its four task forces. Liu Shijin, CCICED Chinese Chief Advisor, and Scott Vaughan, CCICED Chief International Advisor and former CEO, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), co-chaired the opening plenary. Vaughan expressed warm appreciation for the efforts of all concerned, and Liu invited comments from participants. Under Task Force 1 on global governance and ecological civilization, speakers presented findings and recommendations of their studies on: global climate governance and China’s role; post-2020 global biodiversity conservation; and global ocean governance and ecological civilization. Under Task Force 2 on green urbanization and environmental improvement, they presented on: green urbanization strategy and pathways towards regional integrated development; ecological compensation and green development institutional reform in the Yangtze River Economic Belt; and goals and pathways for environmental improvement in 2035. Under Task Force 3 on innovation, sustainable production and consumption, findings and recommendations from an SPS on green transition and sustainable social governance were presented. Under Task Force 4 on green energy, investment and trade, they discussed efforts toward the Green Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and achieving 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Participants then provided feedback and made further suggestions on these topics. Discussions highlighted many examples of good practice, as well as opportunities for improvements in policy and practice. In the afternoon, they engaged in focused discussions in six open forums. Many participants highlighted the need to adopt a systems approach that will allow for cross-cutting and multi-stakeholder approaches to problem solving. In the evening, invited guests attended a gala dinner hosted by CCICED.