With the “One Belt, One Road” initiative and the active advancement of “Building a Shared Future for Mankind”, China has played a more important role in global environmental governance and promoted the development of global environmental governance in a more fair and rational direction, cooperation and win-win. Dr. Zhou Jinfeng, the Secretary-General of China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) delivered a wonderful speech at the “Global Governance Youth Summit Forum”. The following is the speech of Dr. Zhou to be shared with readers.

When we enter the ecological civilization, we should set our code of conduct for the new civilization, just like Shennong. The significance is profound, such as clothes, food, and transportation. Everything we do can change the world. We can not only change ourselves but also deeply influence suppliers. What choices we have will force suppliers to have what attitude. Many companies have changed their low carbon, such as Starbucks, use porcelain cups instead of paper cups, which can cost 4 yuan less. The opinions and attitudes of the consumer are very important for the change of enterprises. Similarly, school and government, their behavior also comes from our attitude, our attitude will determine everything. For example, two years ago, in 2017, I supported several local young people to use Taobao, Baidu, and Mei Tuan takeaway network platforms. Because they provide a lot of free disposable tableware, I don't need disposable tableware to eat in the office, but they have this option. We sued them. At that time, the courts and the Bureau of Industry and Commerce said that they had not made a mistake in offering disposable tableware. It's wrong that they don't provide. But we said that they should give us green consumption options, I don't waste a pair of chopsticks. At that time, our request was not accepted by everyone. But on July 1st this year, local laws and regulations in Shanghai were promulgated. This local regulation in Shanghai requires that no disposable tableware be offered for takeaway. Our young people's requirement has become a local regulation and will become a global regulation in the future. From our will to morality and aesthetics to law, this is our solution. We need young people, and our will is the hope of the future.

The second part I want to talk about is the "Belt and Road Initiative". But the “Belt and Road Initiative” of new ecological civilization, we should communicate and disseminate our thoughts. The whole area is comprehensive, far more than developing the economy. I would like to give an example of the Convention For The Unification Of Certain Rules For International Carriage By Air when the ozone layer was destroyed by fluoride due to industrial reasons, sofa and refrigerator manufacturing, which was dangerous considered by three scientists. A plane was flying across the Arctic and detected strong ultraviolet rays. There was already an ozone hole in the Arctic, and scientists and politicians around the world joined forces to sign the Convention for The Unification Of Certain Rules For International Carriage By Air. Without the Convention, the ozone hole would continue to expand, and ultraviolet radiation would wipe out all living things on the ground, including humans. The Convention has been very successful in mobilizing global forces. At that time, many people also said that if freon was canceled, millions of people would be unemployed, which would cause huge losses. But eventually, the Convention won. The present era is no longer the Easter Island era. If global human beings do not work hard, the ecological crisis and the crisis of civilization that human beings are facing are invincible. The “Belt and Road Initiative” is a good platform to link us together to resist crises.

Local institutions in Sumatra once called for help from the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF). There is a hydropower project, and when the hydropower station is completed, it will submerge the habitat of the Tapanuli orangutan, possibly resulting in the extinction of most endangered orangutan. Because hydropower project is “Belt and Road Initiative” project that China prepare to invest and construct. Hydropower is clean energy compared with coal-fired power, but at the same time, we cannot ignore the impact and damage of this behavior on the natural environment. These are also large projects along the “Belt and Road Initiative” in Africa. An engineer standing in front of the camera said, "our logging machinery is very fast and efficient." It can be seen that he is selling his logging machinery. We have an initiative called “I don't collect mahogany”. This is what I put forward in Macau. Now that China is rich and crowded, many people begin to collect mahogany, which leads to a large number of mahoganies being cut down in China, even in Africa. This is what we must change in our industrial civilization. The Belt and Road Initiative is a good thing. But we should talk about ecological civilization. We should pay close attention to global ecological protection. Without these, we will fail.

(Photo credit: CBCGDF)

Original Chinese article:

http://www.cbcgdf.org/NewsShow/4854/9631.html

By / Li Xue