On September 6th, Dr. Zhou Jinfeng, Secretary-General of China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF), was invited to attend the parallel event Green Belt and Road. The other attendees are Mr. Cai Jinyong (the former CEO of the International Finance Corporation), Ms. Chen Fang (Head of China, Refinitiv), Mr. Zhang Jianyu (Global Vice President and Chief Representative of China of Environmental Defense Fund). The event provides a platform for the guests to exchange ideas on the well-being in the era of ecological civilization.
The economic growth stimulated by the development of the Belt and Road Initiative has a significant effect on improving the happiness index of involving countries. Then what is the happiness index? It is to measure induvial feeling on their development, an indicator which reflects the sense of happiness. What is the sense of happiness? It is a kind of emotion arising from the moment when we are satisfied. Human beings it is have entered into the era of ecological civilization from the era of agriculture and the industrial civilization. Due to the traditional extensive economic growth development model centered on resources, products and pollution discharge formed in the era of industrial civilization and the overconsumption of environmental resources, we are in the Sixth Mass Extinction.
CBCGDF has been committed to promoting green and ecological Belt and Road and collected several cases of EBRs to better service for Chinese enterprises who go globally and promote the sustainable development of green Belt and Road.
At the 4th session of United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) in Nairobi in March 2019, CBCGDF delegates were introduced to deCOALonize, a unit composed of Kenyan NGOs and local community groups in Kenya, by the Governance Affairs Office of UNEP. After the meeting, CBCGDF learned the proposed project of Lamu 3*350 MW Power Plant invested by a Chinese investor. The local organization believes the project failed to fully consider all potential negative influence on the ecological environment. On July 27, the Kenyan National Environment Tribunal has canceled the license issued by NEMA. The project has been halted.
Therefore, environment quality and health level have a great influence on the sense of happiness in the era of ecological civilization, except for economic factors. Human is an indivisible part of nature. The co-existence between human and nature largely determines the sense of happiness. The philosophy of ecological civilization contributes to improving lifestyle and production mode, thus helping to enhance well-beings. A healthy ecological environment is one of the basic requirements of improving the sense of happiness which advances the sustainable and green development of ecological civilization in return.
(Photo credit: CBCGDF)
Original Chinese article:
http://www.cbcgdf.org/NewsShow/4854/9943.html
By / Wang Yanqing