With the theme of Emission Peak, Carbon Neutrality, and Green Development, the Tenth China-ASEAN Engineering Forum was held successfully on Sep.8th, 2021, in Nanning, Guangxi Province. Academics and experts in relative fields from both home and abroad have exchanged ideas and fruitful results have been achieved. Zhou Jinfeng, Vice President and Secretary-General of China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development, was invited to attend the conference, delivered a special report, and had an interview with the media. The interview is as follows:
Host: In this report, you have mentions that ecological civilization should guide ecological construction. To you, how emission peak and carbon neutrality could be achieved?
Zhou: Emission peak and carbon neutrality are crucial to ecological civilization construction to meet our need for development. The rocketing industrial civilization has destroyed natural habitats greatly, leading to climate change. Without the goal of emission peak and carbon neutrality, we could not build a shared future for mankind and all lives on earth.
Except for the need of development, global cooperation is under great pressure. Main economies developed countries have brought up emission peak and carbon neutrality. And certain results have been achieved. In the future, international cooperation, the Belt and Road Initiative, import and export will all be associated with emission peak and carbon neutrality.
Host: How will emission peak and carbon neutrality affect human civilization?
Zhou: Human civilization needs emission peak and carbon neutrality. I have mentioned recently that the change of mind is the foundation of energy transformation, industrial transformation, science and technology development. Guided by ecological civilization, we can achieve emission peak and carbon neutrality. Even if we achieve our goals, still we are facing great challenges of the loss of habitats.
The earth has a long history of over 4.6 billion years. It is still vaporous today. We need to protect ourselves and our habitats to survive. Emission peak and carbon neutrality are crucial goals to be achieved.
Host: My understanding of your words is that we are correcting our behaviors before it is too late to reach emission peak and carbon neutrality.
Zhou: Yes, we are also adapting ourselves to the post-industrial civilization.
Host: You have creatively proposed that consumption-oriented carbon equality means that everyone should make a contribution to cut carbon emission based on carbon rights and carbon responsibility. Please elaborate on how should we solve the conflict between development and carbon emission reduction? How can we share responsibilities and realize global energy-saving?
Zhou: Globally, the groundwork of dual carbon is supply-oriented, which means to cut carbon emissions by using cleaner energy. But from a broader view, we are facing three major crises, which are climate change, public health and security crisis, and biodiversity crisis. All due to human behavior. The only feasible solution is the human act. We proposed an idea—HBS (human-based solution). Crises can only be solved when every individual makes the change.
One major change is consumption-based. Change of demands can change the supply of the whole market. For example, some western consumers would take their own cups to coffee stores and demand discounts. In the end, chain coffee companies have accepted the challenges and demand. This follows the rule of the market and has great influence.
Another example is that when Guangxi Government is purchasing vehicles, price and quality would be considered. Now carbon footprint should also be included. As a result, the production will be influenced. The change of demand will revolutionarily change the whole market. Participation of individuals is the goal of our dual carbon mission and to build ecological civilization. From this end, we can use policy to make adjustments. Today we care about human destiny. Everyone should share the burden together. Equal international communication will come soon. Developed countries provide sufficient resources to less developed areas and countries, not only money and technology to get through all difficulties together.
Another concept is to utilize the power of nature when realizing carbon neutrality. Oil and coal are once plants and animals on earth. Carbon can be recaptured, utilized, and stored. Ocean, wetland, and forests can help us with this process.
Host: We are in Guangxin now, a connection of China to ASEAN. Could you please give us some advice on how to start our dual carbon work?
Zhou: Guangxi and ASEAN are both important in the global dual carbon realization process. The natural resources and ecosystems they have are important for biodiversity protection.
In the future, when Guangxi and ASEAN work together, synergy and clean energy should be considered. Synergy means when facing climate crisis, biodiversity need is also crucial. When realizing the dual carbon goal, the relationship between afforestation and biodiversity. Also, the relationship between clean energy and biodiversity should be considered as well.
An African scientist has introduced to us that elephants have great capacity on carbon capture. Elephants eat grass and bushes. Energy has turn to the soil as carbon. Plants can utilize the carbon and storage it. This is the power of nature. I have also mentioned construction. Construction should follow the rules of nature. In the past we want to conquer nature and change it. But today, we must remember that the new ecological civilization is to make peace with nature, respect, and learn from it. Human is 4.6billion years younger than nature. Biodiversity in the natural revolution system is crucial to realize emission peak and carbon neutrality. When we are developing, we also need to protect and respect nature for the benefit of human habitats.
Host: There is a zero-emission platform in this forum. How could we achieve that? We bought 208 trees to grow in Ningxia to realize zero emission. What are your comments about it? Can this behavior help with dual carbon goals?
Zhou: The carbon neutrality strategy in this meeting is marvelous. The meaning of it is threefold. First, it has been suggested that everyone should act to realize carbon neutrality. Second, it has provoked all members of society to act together. Third, it is an active attempt to bring nature to realize carbon neutrality. Planting trees is harder than in Guangxi. There are more scientific questions. Carbon woods should also consider the species and plant methods of trees. The growing speed of trees is different, then the carbon storage capacity must have the best period.
In industrial civilization, we think on the ground of human beings. But we need to think about ecosystems and human habitats. We want carbon storage and biodiversity protection. We now have efficient scientific policies. In the future, we would do more to help with the construction of a shared future of mankind. My suggestion is meetings in Nanning could also loop RCEP in so that we can discuss how to develop the economy and build ecological civilization together.
Host: Under the framework of the China-ASEAN Engineering Forum, we focus more on energy transformation and innovation guided by carbon neutrality. Do you have any suggestions?
Zhou: Industrial civilization has set out mind. The whole science and engineer system need reformative changes. I have talked about a series of cases today, many of which are industrial civilization rather than ecological civilization. For example, the Shenzhen Bay Dredging Plant is not an ecological project as it has claimed to be. We have proposed our opinions and the project has been shut down. Planting trees in Dongtan, Nanhui district, Shanghai is also against nature behavior. We have been working to stop for two years. This year it has finally stopped. Building a hydropower station at Tapanuli, Indonesia will do harm to orangutans, which has just been listed as a critically endangered species. How could we balance the conflict between the newly built hydropower station and biodiversity? How could we make changes in the new era of an ecological civilization? First, we need to change our mindset. Many Chinese corporations are making efforts. We are glad to see that. More efforts are also needed. Thank you.
Original Chinese article: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/oEVUKnYFfkmUX-IZCcKJtQ
Translator/Daisy
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