ThisphototakenonJuly8,2023showsaninstallationcombinedwithseveralscreensatEcoForumGlobalGuiyang2023inGuiyang,thecapitalofsouthwestChinasGuizhouProvince.(Xinhua/YangWenbin)
Povertyreductionandenvironmentalimprovementmustgohandinhand.Ecologicalcivilizationentailsincorporatingenvironmentalconsiderationsintoallformsofsocialprogress.
byXinhuawriterGuoYuqi
GUIYANG,China,July9(Xinhua)--SouthoftheYangtzeRiver,southwestChinasGuizhouProvinceisarealmofbiodiversity,karstlandscapeandnaturalheritage.IntheprovincescapitalcityGuiyang,atwo-dayglobalforumonecologicalcivilizationjustconcluded.
Asanational-levelglobalforumthemedonecologicalcivilization,theEcoForumGlobalGuiyang2023,whichattractedover3,200participants,providedaplatformforinternationaldiscussiononecologicalcivilizationandgreendevelopment.
FIGHTINGCHALLENGES
Guizhou,amountainousregion,hasovercomeecologicaldegradationandsevereeconomicdistresstobecomewhatitistoday.
Attheforum,participantswerewelcometotastethelocally-producedRoxburghrosejuice.Thissmallandsweetfruithasaremarkablehistoryoffightingagainstrockydesertification.
Rockydesertification,alsoknownastheearthcancer,referstolanddegradationwherevegetationisdestroyed,bedrockisexposedandthesurfaceresemblesadesertlandscape.Localpeoplewouldsay,Rockscometolight,noplantssurvive.
InGuizhou,areasofrockydesertificationareoftenlocatedinimpoverishedregions.PeoplediscoveredthatRoxburghrosesarerelativelycold-resistant,shade-tolerantandhavewell-developedrootsystems,makingthemnaturallyappropriateforcombatingrockydesertification.
Withgovernmentsupport,localpeopleinareasofrockydesertificationareassuchasLiupanshuiCity,Bouyei-MiaoAutonomousPrefectureofQiannan,AnshunCityandBijieCitystartedtogrowRoxburghrosesinstonecracksandmakeproductsoutofitsfruits,whichnotonlyimprovednaturalconditionsbutalsohelpedpeoplefindapathtowealth.
IbrahimThiaw,executivesecretaryoftheUnitedNationsConventiontoCombatDesertification,oncevisitedtheRoxburghroseplantingareasincentralGuizhou.Heunderscoredthatthissolutionforcombatingrockydesertificationhaseconomicvalueandinspirestheworld.
ThisisjustoneexampleofthenumerousinstanceswhereGuizhoushowcasestheharmoniouscoexistenceofhumansandnature.Throughyearsofdedicatedeffortstowardbuildingamoreeco-friendlysociety,Guizhouwasdesignatedthecountrysecologicalcivilizationpilotzonein2016.
ThorjornLarssen,deputymanagingdirectoroftheNorwegianInstituteforWaterResearch,cametoChinaforthefirsttimein1993.HerecalledthatwhenhefirstcametoGuiyang30yearsago,theairpollutioninthecitywasquitesevere.Itsveryimpressivetoseehowtheairqualityhasimprovedandhowfastmeasuresaretaken.
Accordingtotheprofessor,povertyreductionandenvironmentalimprovementmustgohandinhand.Ecologicalcivilizationentailsincorporatingenvironmentalconsiderationsintoallformsofsocialprogress.
ThisphototakenonJuly9,2023showstheclosingceremonyoftheEcoForumGlobalGuiyang2023inGuiyang,southwestChinasGuizhouProvince.(Xinhua/YangWenbin)
COMMONGOALS
ThepursuitofecologicalcivilizationinChinamatterstotheworldbecausenocountryorcontinentcanmanageenvironmentalissuesalone.
InhiscongratulatorylettertotheEcoForumGlobalAnnualConferenceGuiyang2018,ChinesePresidentXiJinpingsaid,ecologicalconservationconcernsthefutureofhumankind,anditsthecommongoalofallnationstobuildagreenhome.
Examplessuchasthecommitmenttoachievingcarbonpeakandcarbonneutrality,aswellasthepromotionofinitiativesliketheKunmingBiodiversityFund,demonstratethatChinaisdedicatedtobuildingabeautifulChinaandshoulderingglobalresponsibilities.
Wefaceroughlythesameissuesworldwide,saidTamasHajba,senioradvisorforChinawithOrganizationforEconomicCo-operationandDevelopment(OECD).Itsveryimportantthatwemeasurebiodiversitylossandexchangeinformationanddatawitheachother,andthisisthewayhowweimproveourownpolicies,headded.
Furthermore,Chinasexperience,accumulatedovergenerationsandindiversegeographicalconditions,isvaluableforthosefacingsimilarchallenges.
SolutionsintandemwiththeSustainableDevelopmentGoalsprovideaglobalroadmapthatprotectstheplanetbutalsoreducespovertyandleavesnoonebehind,JamesGeorge,deputyresidentrepresentativeoftheUnitedNationsDevelopmentProgrammeinChina,toldXinhua.
WeareworkingcloselytogetherwithChinaandallpartnersgloballytodevelopnewinnovativedevelopmentactions.LetusutilizethisopportunitytosharethebestpracticesandnewinnovativeapproachesinChinathatwecansharewiththerestoftheworldformutualexchangeandlearningforabetterplanetforeveryone,hesaid.
MichiaMoncho,afull-timenationalcommunitymemberoftheYoungCommunistLeagueofSouthAfricaresponsibleforinternationalrelations,wasimpressedbywhatshesawinChina.Besidestheorizingdevelopment,whatmattersistoworkwithpeopleandshowthemthatecologicalcivilizationisnotonlygoingtobenefitusfornowbutforgenerationstocome,shenotedduringtheecoforum.
IlltakehomewhatIsawhere,howChinaisimplementingmeasureswithChinesecharacteristics,andwe,asSouthAfricans,canimplementthemwithourcharacteristics,shesaid.
ArtistssingsongsofDongethnicgroupattheclosingceremonyoftheEcoForumGlobalGuiyang2023inGuiyang,southwestChinasGuizhouProvince,July9,2023.(Xinhua/YangWenbin)
LEADINGROLE
Inrecentyears,Chinahasbeenleadinginaddressingclimatechange,protectingbiodiversityandpromotingagreentransformation.ThegreentechnologiesdevelopedinChinahavebenefitedotherpartsoftheworld.
InhiswrittenstatementfortheWorldLeadersSummitatthe26thsessionoftheConferenceofthePartiestotheUnitedNationsFrameworkConventiononClimateChangein2021,Xisaiditisvitaltoharnessinnovationsinscienceandtechnologytotransformandupgradetheenergyandresourcessectorsaswellastheindustrialstructureandconsumptionpattern.
Wewillfosteragreen,low-carbonandcirculareconomicsystematafasterpace,pressaheadwithindustrialstructureadjustment,andreinintheirrationaldevelopmentofenergy-intensiveandhigh-emissionprojects,hesaid.
ErikSolheim,formerexecutivedirectoroftheUnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme,toldtheecoforumthataccordingtohisobservation,severalChinesecompaniesareleadingthewayinfuturegreenindustries,someevenbeingestablishedinthird-tiersmallcities.
Thesecompanies,suchasthoseintheelectricvehicleindustry,broughtjobs,prosperity,andprofitsinChina,whileatthesametime,itisverygoodforglobalenvironmentalprogress,Solheimsaid.
AfewdaysearlierinCamacari,Brazil,ChineseautomakerBYDannouncedtheconstructionofaproductionbasecomplexcomprisingthreefactories,whichisexpectedtocreateover5,000newjobsinthelocalarea.Inadditiontoproducingelectricvehicles,thecomplexwillprocesslithium-ironphosphatebatteries.
FilipePorto,aresearcherattheFederalUniversityofABCandamemberoftheBrazilianForeignPolicyObservatory,believesChinaisbecominganessentialpartnerforBraziltomeetitsdecarbonizationandenergyneeds.
InAfrica,Chinahasbeenworkingwithcountriestomeettheirgreentargets.
Chinahasbeentheleadingpartnerinthecontinentsdesiredtoswitchtosolarandwindenergy,saidCavinceAdhere,aKenya-basedinternationalrelationsscholar.
TheexperttoldXinhuathatwithChinashelp,Kenyaisnowhometothelargestgrid-connectedsolarpowerplantinEastandCentralAfrica.TheGarissaChina-built50MWsolarpowerplantisprovingbenefitstothecountryasKenyanowtapsover2percentofthenationalenergysourcefromthefacility.
Adheresaidthatthroughtargetedtechnologytransfers,KenyansinthenorthernpartofthecountryarenowreapingthebenefitsofChinesetechnologywithimprovedaccesstopower.
(ZhangDailei,ZhangYuan,WuSi,ZhouXuanni,LiuQinbing,LiuWanli,LiHualing,ZhaoYan,ChenWeihua,YangYanbinandXieJiangalsocontributedtothestory.)