The annual conference of the Eco Forum Global kicked off in southwest China’s Guizhou Province on Saturday, gathering more than 3,000 participants from all over the world to exchange their views on how to build a green future.
“I believe this forum is conducive to promoting mutual understanding among different parties, deepening cooperation and pushing forward global eco-civilization construction,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his congratulatory letter to the event.
“We need a forum like this to allow experts to exchange views and to hear the experience of China and the experience of other countries. I think this eco forum in Guiyang is a very good platform,” Nicholas Rosellini, UN Resident Coordinator in China, told CGTN.
During the opening ceremony, Member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China, China's Vice Premier Sun Chunlan stressed China’s determination on eco-civilization construction and detailed its ecological blueprint.
“China will actively push forward the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the construction of the green ‘Belt and Road’. We will contribute to maintain the hard-won Paris Agreement and build a fair, reasonable and win-win global climate governance system,” said the Vice Premier.
Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan delivers a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the forum. / CGTN Photo
The environment is one of the three dimensions of the 2030 Agenda. The annual conference sets how to synergize China’s green “Belt and Road” initiative and the sustainable development goals as an important agenda.
Rosellini said the world is faced with diverse ecological challenges.
China is pushing forward the revitalization of its vast rural areas, with ecology being an integral aspect. The guests will also discuss how to fight poverty through “green” industries and balance economic development and environmental protection.
“I think people will realize that this is not either-or, we can easily match the two. But it does mean different thinking. It means innovation, and it means trying to balance some of these development paths,” said Hans Friederich, Director-General of the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan.
Hans Friederich, Director-General of the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan, shares his opinion on how to balance economic development and environmental protection with CGTN reporter. / CGTN Photo
China has exerted great efforts on ecological improvement over the past few years, aiming to build a “beautiful China” with sustainable growth. The country’s transformation of its energy structure is seen as an endeavor worth sharing.
“If you ask what is the area where China has useful experience to show to other countries, I think it’s the area of renewable energy – solar, wind power, biomass…all these areas are what other countries are interested to learn,” said Rosellini.
Nicholas Rosellini, UN Resident Coordinator in China, speaks at a sub-event of the forum. / CGTN Photo
In June, the plateau province of Qinghai tried to run solely on electricity generated from wind, solar and hydro power stations for nine consecutive days. This is considered as a testament to China’s commitment to a low-carbon future.
The year of 2018 is critical following the signing of the Paris Agreement, as countries under the framework are supposed to finalize the rulebook before the end of the year. President Xi said China is willing to jointly build a clean and beautiful world by cooperating with the international community. Many attendees also said they believe that China will play a greater role in the global effort of environment protection.
(Top picture: A group of 10-year-old children from an ethnic group in Guizhou perform at the opening ceremony. This is the 10th year since the forum was first held in 2009 in Guiyang. Yu Yuanlin also contributed to this piece.)
