Dr. Zhou's Speech on Discussion on US-China Joint Statement Addressing the Climate Crisis
2021/5/18 14:11:00 本站

China and the US are "committed to working together" on climate change and will cooperate on multilateral fronts, including the Paris Agreement. Scholars have gathered together to discuss how this will impact our future.

 

Mr. Phil Midland, president of the IHS international, invited Dr.Zhou Jinfeng, Secretary-general of CBCGDF, to the US-China Joint Statement Addressing webinar on the Climate Crisis on April,26th. Dr.Zhou is the only Chinese participant there.

 

He opened this speech with an introduction to China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation and discussed how biodiversity conservation can change the world.

 

The full speech is as below:

 

This is a unique opportunity to meet everybody here today.

 

My Foundation - the Foundation was founded in 1985.   We credit this to the donation of the Duke of Bedford (UK) and the returning of 18 paradervis (milu) deer back to China.   He did so during the negotiation of Hong Kong returning.  At that time with the return of the deer, the Duke also provided a fund, and together with the Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Congress (CPPCC) and with the three central CPPCC vice chairmen - together set up this Foundation - initially called the 'China Paradervis Deer Foundation.'

 

After China joined CBD - the Foundation name has changed the name to 'China Biodiversity Conservation Foundation.' In the early 2000s - because the China government and leaders wanted to turn, to transit to green development, the Foundation was approved and renamed by the State Council of China to today's name - 'China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation' (CBCGDF)[1].

 

That made clear, our recent tasks are biodiversity conservation, and second is green development, which includes climate issues, low carbon, and eco-civilization.

 

At the same time, I am also appointed Co-director for the Ecological Center for Ecological Civilization of Peking University to study ecological civilization.  That is my primary task.

 

We have filed over 100 Environmental Public Interest Litigations against almost all major companies in China regarding biodiversity, conservation, and eco-civilization issues in the past few years.   This included corporations like Alibaba, Baidu, State Grid, China Aluminum, and China Petroleum.

 

Through public interest litigation, this process is used to serve and protect public environmental interests.  Through litigation, make fundamental changes and shocks to the industry are delivered and promote environmental issues.  We have been very active and involved in policymaking.

 

After the outbreak of coronovirus, on Jan 26, 2020, three departments -  China State Administration of Market Supervision, the Ministry of Agriculture and rural Affairs, and the State Forestry and Grassland Administration - jointly issued a temporary ban on wildlife trade, saying "The trade in wildlife will be banned from now until the national epidemic is over". Unsatisfied, we appealled to higher authorities calling for a thorough ban. A month later, in response of our call,  the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress passed the "decision on comprehensively banning illegal wildlife trade, getting rid of the bad habit of eating wild animals indiscriminately, and effectively ensuring the people's health and safety" on February 24, which strictly prohibited the trade and consumption of wild animals.

 

In part, because of the pandemic - we have seen the initiative to take off successfully - and in July 2020, it is out of China pharmacopeia.

 

We are also very active and received public participation of the public - every year, over 2 million college students participate in our environmental 'knowledge task.' We work with and for the people, and we are also quite open to international cooperation. We learn we share with international environmental organizations.

 

In these last 2 days - we received the news from the UK - of the 'extinction rebellion.'[2]

We have introduced the activities of HSBC - to give them a positive review.  Almost everyone in China thinks that's not right - but we think the goal and purpose - and their efforts are so important.

 

We hope, we think this is an excellent opportunity to make new friends and to learn, to share, and cooperate.

 

We all notice the recent activities between the US and China - we think today's world needs cooperation - worldwide - every nation, including the US and China we need to work together to combat climate and biodiversity challenges and environment.  We need a lot from the US, and we need understanding from the outside world.  Fight for biodiversity - and against the pandemic.

 

We need to share - and we need to think.  Culture diversity - civilization diversity and including political system diversity is also very important, very essential. Those diversities are necessary for the survival of human beings on the planet.

 

We think we should accept, understand and cooperate, to fight to face the challenges and the emergencies we are facing.

 

I hope we can get more communication and we can get more understanding, and more cooperation with colleagues we met.

 

Thank you, Phil; thank you everybody.

 

Thank you very much for the Johnson & Johnson participation and contribution, which is so good.  It was a significant help to the people and many hospitals in Wuhan and many people in southern China who got needed support through you and Johnson & Johnson.  Really really grateful, and I really appreciate your help. Thank you.

 



[1] http://www.cbcgdf.org

 

[2] https://extinctionrebellion.uk

 

Translator/ Stan

Contribution

https://www.paypal.me/CBCGDFChina

http://www.cbcgdf.org/English/ConfirmDonaTion/0.html