Recently, the Secretary-General of China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) Dr. Zhou Jinfeng met with experts from the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), who visited CBCGDF. The two sides discussed on the N% Global Research Plan proposed by these experts.

After more than 20 years of efforts, significant achievements have been made, but the global ecological situation is still facing a serious crisis. To date, there is a lack of solutions that adequately engage countries and the whole society. UNDP is certainly and urgently seeking such a potential fundamental solution.

A Chinese scientific team leading by Dexin Tian and Yan Xie, has made important innovations and breakthroughs in the economic and social basic theory research, after a long period of in-depth reflection and research on the conservation at various levels in the past. They believe that it is necessary to find a balanced relationship between human development needs and nature at the global level in order to fundamentally address the various problems facing the current global environment. They raised the concept and systematic solutions of "Nature Proportion (Nature%, N%)", that is to quantify the proportion relationship between long term survival and development of human (in the world or a country) and natural space. It will establish a direct and quantitative strong link between natural ecosystems and human needs, fundamentally enhance the social status of nature conservation, and provide strong scientific support and a solid foundation for social collaboration on important issues as conservation mainstreaming, ecosystem value realization and sustainable development.

The team launched the N% Global Research Plan (N% Plan), i.e. to conduct international collaborative research on the balance relationship between human needs and nature in the world (or countries) as quickly as possible. For the first time, taking the needs of global or national people as the center framework, taking environment, ecosystem and species conservation as associated objectives, and actively interacting with various research achievements and methodologies (such as MA, Global Environmental Outlook, ecological footprint and natural capital), the research plan can clearly and intuitively reveal the quantitative balance between man and nature, and get the understanding, recognition and support of the whole society. This will provide strong scientific support and social foundations (policies, laws, public awareness, participation models, and coordination mechanisms) for global and national macro-decision-making and social collaboration for conservation. It will also provide support and collaborative solutions for plans of the United Nations Ecosystem Restoration Decade and Nature-Based Solutions.

This work requires extensive participation from all countries around the world, and we are actively communicating with relevant agencies and countries. Following the example of MA promoted by Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General in 2000, if UN could promote the N% Plan (The global assessment of the balance between human needs and nature), it will fundamentally alleviate the deep-seated contradiction between conservation and development, fully mobilize governments, enterprises, whole society and even everyone in the world to understand deeply and participate in conservation in depth. Let’s make positive contribution together to fill the huge gap in the international research on the relationship between man and nature, and to create a brand-new situation of global conservation.

Based on the above introduction to the N% Global Research Plan, Dr. Zhou fully affirmed the efforts of the experts on this project, and the two sides made further exchanges and discussions on the specific ideas and plans of the project.

The experts said that the discussion was very pleasant and thanked Dr. Zhou for his participation and support in the project. CBCGDF has joined the N% Global Research Plan and is part of this project. In this regard, they hope that CBCGDF will be able to work together to promote the N% Global Research Plan. They are also willing to maintain close communication and contact with CBCGDF around this project.

In this regard, Dr. Zhou said that CBCGDF will fully support and participate in related work. His specific suggestions include the possibility of launching several typical demonstration models; the N% Global Research Plan should be promoted when participating in relevant international conferences; support the platforms for communication and strive to find domestic support, participants, and support and participants within the UN.

Therefore, we ask the following question:

Are you willing to support the early launch and implementation of the N% Global Research Plan around the world?

(Photo courtesy: Ms. Yan Xie)

By / Niu Jingmei