Biodiversity talks finish with ‘renewed sense of optimism’
The first phase of the COP 15 United Nations Biodiversity Conference that concluded on Oct 15 renewed optimism and strong momentum for the adoption of an effective post-2020 global biodiversity framework, officials said.
During the five-day first phase of COP 15, officially known as the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, held in Kunming, Yunnan province, with the theme “Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth”, more than 2,900 delegates took part in person, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said.
Nearly 2,500 more attended via video link during a forum on ecological civilization — a concept promoted by Chinese President Xi Jinping for balanced and sustainable development that features the harmonious coexistence of man and nature — and other activities held during the event.
“With the conclusion of the first part of COP 15, we have taken a critical step toward writing a new chapter for our planet and for our societies,” said Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, the convention’s executive secretary.
“The adoption of the Kunming Declaration and the strong political direction provided by many ministers has put us firmly on the path to the adoption of an effective post-2020 global biodiversity framework that will engage the entire world in the task of putting nature on a path to recovery by 2030.”
Concerned that biodiversity loss jeopardizes U.N. sustainable development goals and other international targets, parties made a commitment to “ensure the development, adoption and implementation of an effective post-2020 global biodiversity framework”, according to the declaration.
As the largest U.N. biodiversity gathering in a decade, COP 15 has the task of elaborating on the framework and identifying new protection goals until 2030.
The declaration also took
note of calls made by many countries to protect and conserve 30% of the world’s land and sea areas through wellconnected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures by 2030.
Another standout moment was President Xi’s announcement to establish the Kunming Biodiversity Fund with an investment of 1.5 billion yuan ($234.7 million), which will be used to support developing nations in biodiversity conservation.
Also during the event, 36 Chinese banking and financial institutions, and 24 foreign banks and international organizations issued a joint declaration on support for biodiversity conservation, vowing to further ramp up efforts to cope with biodiversity loss.
Mrema, referring to the event as “a huge success”, said she left the meeting “with a renewed sense of optimism”.
“I very much look forward to our work together over the next year.”
Talking of unprecedented challenges the world is facing in global environmental governance, Huang Runqiu, minister of ecology and environment and COP 15 president, called on the world to strengthen collaboration on conserving biodiversity for the world’s sustainable development.
“As the president of COP 15, I sincerely hope that the parties will maintain this valuable spirit of cooperation during part two of the event, strongly support my efforts and advance the process of the convention.”
The second phase of the U.N. conference will be held in the first half of next year, also in Kunming.
Huang said he will earnestly perform his duties as COP 15 president, work with all parties, transform consensus into practical action and promote the attainment of important achievements, such as the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.
Experts had said during the meeting that a Chinese mechanism, the ecological conservation red line, could provide an effective solution to tackling global biodiversity losses.
The strategy, which has been adopted in biodiversity programs in China, could cover more species not protected by nature reserves and coordinate ecosystem protection and socioeconomic development.
Red lines are often used in China to denote geographic boundaries that should not be crossed. In a move to further improve environmental protection, the central authorities issued a paper on an ecological conservation red line in 2017, saying mandatory and rigorous protection would be imposed where the mechanism is implemented.
Under the proposals, the strategy will cover regions playing important roles in ecosystem operation, including water and soil conservation, and biodiversity maintenance, as well as ecologically fragile areas prone to soil erosion and desertification.
Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province, as well as areas along the Yangtze River Economic Belt were asked to spearhead the national program and draw red lines by the end of 2017.
With efforts continuing to optimize the mechanism, China is aiming for national ecological safety to be ensured by 2030, the paper says.
Red lines now encircle 25% of the country, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said.
Gao Jixi, head of the Center for Satellite Application on Ecology and Environment, which is affiliated with the ministry, said the red line system offers a solution to enhance ecosystem integrity and will also help species adapt to climate change.
“Nature reserves are usually designated for specific species, which means that they don’t cover very large areas,” he said.
Different-sized reserves are often isolated, with some showing up as mere dots on a map. The red line system can better connect these isolated areas and encircle some that are included as nature reserves, offering species more integrated habitats, Gao said.
After global warming renders their current living areas uninhabitable, some species may lose their habitats within the reserve allocated for them, Gao said.
“The red line system will make it easier for species to migrate, greatly increasing their capability to adapt to climate change.”
Eighty-five percent of key wild animal populations in China have been brought under effective protection, the ministry said, and the red line system could address the remainder, Gao said.
The system has international significance because it provides a new mode for global environmental governance, he said.
While protecting areas rich in biodiversity and which play key roles in ecosystem operation, the mechanism will also coordinate ecosystem protection and socioeconomic development, Gao said. The size of encircled areas will change, but it will be adjusted in accordance with socioeconomic development, he said.
Measures would also be taken to ensure residents in encircled areas lead normal or even better lives.
Large-scale urbanization and industrialization will be prohibited in encircled areas, but certain economic activities will be allowed, he said. Residents will also be compensated for shortterm losses resulting from development restrictions.
For example, in Jiangsu province, where red lines were introduced in 2013, ecological remediation measures and development projects have been introduced in some areas encircled by red lines.
Desheng Lake in the city of Xinghua used to experience heavy pollution and ecosystem degradation due to fish farming. About 60% of the 4,119acre lake was occupied by fish farms in the 1980s, the Jiangsu Department of Ecology and Environment said.
The lake was largely restored following ecological remediation measures taken by the local government in 2014 after the area was encircled by red lines. All fishing farms have since been returned to the lake, the department said.
The 744 households that depended on fishing to make a living were not only compensated for their losses, but many residents were given the opportunity to join training programs to acquire skills for other work.
The local government has introduced a tourism project costing 11 billion yuan ($1.7 billion) to promote economic development in the area.