Editor's note: Decision Makers is a global platform for decision makers to share their insights on events shaping today's world. Erik Solheim is former executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of CGTN.

In order to succeed, environmentalists must establish a people's movement for Mother Earth. One inspiration is the slogan of a "beautiful China."

When the green community of the world comes together these days in the wonderful city of Montreal, Canada, it will point to a planet in trouble. We have wiped out many important ecosystems over the last decades, incredible species are threatened with extinction and many habitats are in jeopardy. There will be no lack of dire warnings from scientists and activists.

Hopefully, the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 15) will deliver positive results. We may see increased targets for conservation of nature and policies to provide a better balance between humans and nature.

But in order to put the planet back in good health something more is required: A global people's movement for Mother Earth. Unless we mobilize the love for and spiritual dedication to the beauty of nature, we will never be strong enough.

Government action is indeed needed. But governments will only act if people support and push them. The role of business is also critical. Fortunately, there is some good news to build upon from 2022. 

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was elected president of Brazil and Gustavo Petro of Colombia. The new leaders of the two Latin American rainforest nations ran on programs to stop deforestation and used election campaigns to mobilize their people for the amazing ecosystems. Lula's most specific promise in his acceptance speech was to protect the Amazon and create livelihoods for the people. Petro's running mate Francia Marquez became the first Black Colombian to ascend to the vice presidency, representing indigenous peoples. Marquez has the strongest possible track record from the people's movement for nature.

The small nation of Guyana is another American front-runner. Ten years ago, I cooperated with the then Guyanese President Bharrat Jagdeo to set up funds to finance green developments while keeping the amazing forests of Guyana intact. Based on that work this month Guyana signed an agreement with the energy company Hess to bring $750 million in carbon credits for conservation. The most intact rainforest in the world will remain untouched. Bravo!

Another rainforest nation, Indonesia, has also been successful recently, mobilizing a mix of good government policies, people's action and the force of business. Results? There was zero deforestation last year. Big business in Indonesia acts as responsible global citizens. RGE, the huge paper and palm oil company, has zero deforestation in its value chains. It even protects the huge rainforest on the island of Sumatra.

All too often environmentalist have erred on the negative side, describing problems rather than solutions. The pitch for people's attention is failing to mobilize ordinary people. Presentations are complicated with heavy substance and boring power points, lower on emotions or fun or amazement. The main nature document of the last 10 years is named to become anonymous, called "Aichi Biodiversity Targets," which is named after a province few outside Japan have ever heard of. "What is biodiversity," my good friend former Prime Minister of France Laurent Fabius once remarked sarcastically. "Is it a dangerous disease? Let's rather speak about nature."

The slogan of "beautiful China" shows how environmentalist can take the offensive. I love this slogan. It's positive, appealing to our hopes and aspirations. It plays on our love for nature, for the village where you were born, for the forest outside your city or for the mountains where you go on holiday. Additionally, it is patriotic, tapping into our desire to defend the homeland. Beautiful China translates well into beautiful India, beautiful America or beautiful France.

The idea of mobilizing for a beautiful China has showed results. China is the biggest tree planter in the world. American space agency NASA confirmed that tree planting in China is the biggest force greening Mother Earth. Chinese President Xi Jinping has promised that China will do tree planting in an area the size of Belgium every year from now to 2030. Kubuqi desert in Inner Mongolia and Saihanba in Hebei province are two examples of greening Chinese landscapes.

A greener China helps animals thrive. Snow leopards are brought back from the brink of extinction in western China and Central Asia. The giant panda is no longer on the list of threatened animals, because their habitats are better protected in Sichuan and beyond. The fishing ban in the Yangtze River and upper Yellow River will bring short-term pain, but long-term gain. Based on our similar experience with temporarily banning fishing of cod and herring in Norway, the fish will come back in abundance when we humans change our behavior.

One of the most illustrious effects of COVID-19 was that people all over the world experienced nature closer to heart and home. When pollution stopped, citizens of north India could watch the amazing Himalaya mountains for the first time in decades. In American national parks the wards spoke of an animal outcoming party. Deer ventured back in Japanese cities, bears and beavers in Europe and penguins walked the streets of Cape Town.

If we mobilize a global people's movement for Mother Earth, we will take nature back. Future generations will enjoy a harmonious coexistence of people and nature.

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