China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation
目录
China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation
A Brief Introduction of the CBCGDF
Current biodiversity facts in China
CBCGDF’s biodiversity conservation mission
Examples of conservation efforts
Gene Conservation of 7 Killed Przewalski's gazelles
The 30th Anniversary Celebration for Milu Deer’s Return to China
First China International Bird-Watching Festival
First World Forum on Ecosystem Governance
Wolf Totem Grassland Foundation
Friends of Ancient Village Society
Celebration on the Panda Basi’s 35th Birthday
Safeguarding Environmental Justice in China
Environmental Public Interest Lawsuit (EPIL)
Typical EPIL cases filed by CBCGDF
EPIL against the ConocoPhillips and the CNOOC
EPIL Against the pollution in Tengger Desert on August 13th 2015
China’s first EPIL case to safeguard the endangered plant in Sichuan Province
China’s first EPIL case to protect cultural relics in Magu village, Henan Province
Environmental public interest lawsuit against the Volkswagen
EPIL to safeguard the ecosystem of the Yangtze River in Hubei Province
General Secretary of the CBCGDF Mourn Maurice Strong in Canada in January 27th
Sino-American Air Purification Seminar
Motion to Hold a Leaders’ Conference for Global Religion and Conservation
Cooperation with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
General Director Meet the Catholic cardinal in discussion of environmental protection
CCTV Law Figures Annual Awards in 2015
Award for Non-profit Organizations in the 5th China Charity Festival
Outstanding Individuals’ Award in Promoting Public Welfare in the 18th Huading Award Ceremony
Subsidiaries and Special Funds
Supporter of UN Global Compact
CBCGDF is a supporter of UN Global Compact
A Brief Introduction of the CBCGDF
Approved by the State Council, registered in the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and supersized by the China Association for Science and Technology, the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) is a nationwide non-profit public foundation and a social legal entity dedicated to biodiversity conservation and green development.
History of the CBCGDF
The CBCGDF was originated from the China Milu Foundation, which was founded in 1985 by Lv Zhengcao, Qian Changzhao and Bao Erhan, former vice-chairmans of the CPPCC National Committee to support the breeding and popularizing of an endangered species Milu Deer. In 1997, the Foundation was renamed as “China Biodiversity Conservation Foundation”.
The foundation was given the name of “China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation” in 2010, when Mr. Hu Deping, deputy head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC, member of the 11th CPPCC Standing Committee and vice-chairman of the Committee for Economic Affairs, was appointed as the General Director of the Foundation.
The Foundation has set up an Expert Committee for biodiversity conservation made up of over ten academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and many experts in environmental ecology, and a Law Commission made up of lawyers and hundreds of scholars.
The CBCGDF and the Milu Deer
Milu deer, one of the native species of China, became nearly extinct towards the end of the 1800s during the Qing Dynasty. The 18 Milu deer survived were brought to and raised in the garden of the Duke of Bedford in the UK. In 1985, 38 Milu deer were sent to Beijing from Britain as a gift from the Marquess of Tavistock, which led to the establishment of the China Milu Foundation. As the deer population grows, the Milu Foundation’s mission has also expanded from protecting specific species to biodiversity conservation and environmental protection. Now there are over 1,000 Milu deers roaming in China. Meanwhile, the CBCGDF has also witnessed great development in the past 30 years.
External link: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/the-seemingly-endless-weird osity-of-the-milu/
Biodiversity Conservation
Why to conserve biodiversity?
Life has existed on Earth for over 3.5 billion years. Over 95% of the species that ever existed have gone extinct. As the result of 3.5 billion years of evolution, biodiversity is an essential component of nature and it ensures the survival of human species by providing food, fuel, shelter, medicines and other resources to mankind.We have to conserve biodiversity, because it is the foundation for life and for the essential services provided by ecosystems. It therefore underpins peoples’ livelihoods and sustainable development in all areas of activity, including economic sectors such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries and tourism, among others.
Current biodiversity facts in China
The current situation is that the percentage of threatened fauna and flora is still relatively high. The percentage of threatened invertebrates (critically endangered, endangered, and vulnerable species) in China is 34.7%, and that of vertebrates 35.9%. There are 3,767 species of flora in China that are threatened, roughly accounting for 10.9% of the higher plants under survey. The loss of genetic resources in China is a serious problem. According to the results of the second nationwide survey on genetic resources of poultry, 15 local poultry species were not discovered. The number of local species in over half of the localities surveyed is showing a declining trend.
According to the Report on China's Implementation of the Millennium Development Goals published in 2015, the only target China unfulfilled is 7.B: Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss.
CBCGDF’s biodiversity conservation mission
CBCGDF is the only NGO literally writes Biodiversity Conservation in its name.
During the past years, the CBCGDF has held dozens of meetings and forums, and conducted seven research projects and nearly 30 large-scale public benefit activities, which has transformed China’s development from “red locomotive” to “green locomotive”.
Examples of conservation efforts
Gene Conservation of 7 Killed Przewalski's gazelles
On Feb. 21st, 2016, one of our volunteers reported that there were seven Przewalski's gazelles (普氏原羚, Procapra przewalskii) killed probably by fences in Qinghai Province on Feb. 20. Przewalski's gazelle is perhaps one of the most endangered species of large mammal on Earth, with only hundreds left. There are many threats against the species, including competition with domestic livestock, and fencing of their natural habitat.
As an NGO dedicated to conserve biodiversity in China, we the CBCGDF are highly concerned about this incident. We call for conservation of the remains of the 7 gazelle victims for scientific research, biodiversity educations and museum exhibition. As an endangered species rarer than the Giant Panda, we hope the remains and their gene information can promote public awareness of biodiversity conservation.
Then we contacted our Adviser to connect BGI, the leading gene-sequencing company in China. Response was received soon from Dr. Guojie Zhang, who is a BGI leading scientist organizing a big ruminant genome project with all genuses of ruminant animals included. His team offered to sequence the genome for this endangered species and share it to the public for biodiversity education, as well as put the species on exhibition at the BGI museum or the planned Gene Bank Museum.
Conserving Acer pentaphyllum
As well-known as the dove tree, the Acer pentaphyllum is a rare and endangered plant that grows only in Sichuan Province. Now there are merely 500 of them live in the wild. To protect the Acer pentaphyllum, the CBCGDF has established a special working Group for Rescuing Acer pentaphyllum. Besides, the Foundation has set up three ex situ conservation bases for the plant.
Conserving Pangolins
As pangolins become endangered due to illegal hunting, killing and trade, the Foundation has set up a “CBCGDF International Team for the Protection of Pangolins” to take practical actions to safeguard this animal.
The 30th Anniversary Celebration for Milu Deer’s Return to China
The year of 2015 marked the 30th anniversary of Milu, or Pere David's deer, being re-introduced into China. After three decades of conservation, about 3,000 Milus live on reserves throughout the country. Started with an effort to preserve this precious species, CBCGDF celebrated the 30th anniversary.
in 1894, Beijing's Yongding River flooded and washed away the walls of the Milu Chase. Many of the animals fled captivity, only to become hunted by local residents for food. In 1900, the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Beijing; a battle the finally led to the extinction of milu in China. In 1898, Britain's XI Duke of Bedford purchased milu from zoos around Europe. Eighteen milu were purchased and kept on a manor in Northern London, where they multiplied. These 18 milu are the ancestors of all of today's milu across the world. In 1985, the owner of the manor sent 38 milus back to China, returning the animals to their ancestral homeland. The China Milu Foundation was established the same year to welcome the milu back home, and now has become a non-profit organization named China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation, specializing in conservation of biological diversity.
First China International Bird-Watching Festival
Organized by the Dalian Municipal Government and the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation, the first China International Bird-Watching Festival was held at Laotieshan National Natural Reserve Area from 25th to 27th September 2015. Through observation and data recording, this annual event aims to provide scientific data for the protection of bird species and their habitats so as to promote the concept of biodiversity and establish a comprehensive international standard for China’s bird preservation and biodiversity undertakings. More than 200 bird lovers and 50 teams from home and abroad took part in the Festival.
First World Forum on Ecosystem Governance
The first World Forum on Ecosystem Governance was co-held by the CBCGDF, the Beijing Municipal Government, the State Forestry Administration and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) during 25th-28th October 2015. The Forum was centered on the role of ecosystem in realizing sustainable development and tackling climate change. The attendees finally reached an agreement on the issue, that is, the Beijing Declaration.
The forum explored alternative approaches to govern the world's ecosystems specifically in relation to topics such as: the effects that globalization has on management of ecosystems; mitigation and/or adaptation to address the impacts of climate change; the role technologies could contribute to helping sustain ecosystem capacities; and effective means to promote interdisciplinary stakeholder involvement in management of eco-systems.
All life depends on the services provided by healthy ecosystems, including human wellbeing. Today these complex systems are threatened by unsustainable demands for resources, climate change, political conflicts, and decades of inadequate and inappropriate management. Understanding the state of the world’s ecosystems, the threats they face, and their resilience is crucial if we are to develop holistic and inclusive and innovative policies, strategies and actions to remediate these threats. Management of ecosystems is no longer the exclusive province of specialist ecologists for different ecosystems (e.g., foresters, limnologists, terrestrial), but dependent on skills/input from a wide variety of specialists, including political and social scientists, economists, business owners, and environmental groups. As many of the world’s ecosystems are also shared across geo-political boundaries – within and between countries – effective management can be even more complicated.
Wolf Totem Grassland Foundation
Aimed at preserving the grassland ecosystem, the CBCGDF Wolf Totem Grassland Foundation was founded on January 12th, 2016.
Friends of Ancient Village Society
The CBCGDF Friends of Ancient Village Society with the mission of comprehensively preserving and revitalizing ancient villages in China was established on March 20th, 2016. So far the Society has conducted several projects to conserve the ancient villages, such as to make a nationwide survey on the ancient villages, to prevent them from being demolished or to set up some non-profit studies in those villages.
Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP)
Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) reflects ecological conditions by tallying the gross product of both natural ecosystems, including forests, deserts and wetlands, and artificial ones such as farmland, pastures and aquaculture farms.
The concept of ecological civilization, one of the key national strategies at the 18th National Congress of the CPC, is drawing increasing attention worldwide. Created and advocated by the IUCN, GEP is an accounts system that corresponds to the gross domestic product (GDP) and measures the status of an ecosystem, because the GDP indicator is not sufficient for judging development qualities, as it is likely to leave out the effect economic development has exerted on the environment and underestimate the value of ecological construction and restoration projects that usually take a long time.
In 2014, in cooperation with IUCN and CAS, China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) launched a pilot program in Inner Mongolia's Aershan, to measure the total economic value of all ecosystem products and services that nature provides for human well-being in this area.
Celebration on the Panda Basi’s 35th Birthday
Basi the giant panda who lives at a zoo in Fuzhou city is now the oldest panda on mainland China, and the oldest living panda so far in the world. She celebrated her 35th birthday on Nov. 28, 2015, which roughly equals 130 years in human age. CBCGDF co-hosted the event to promote public awareness of protecting endangered animals.
Basi is the most famous panda in China as she was chosen as the prototype for Pan Pan, the mascot of the Beijing Asian Games in 1990. Basi in 1987 visited the US San Diego Zoo for shows.
Her life is a far cry now from what it could have been. She was rescued from a river in the Yongfu Village of Baoxing County in 1984 as she had slipped into it trying to get food and had got stuck between some stones. Li Xingyu, who was a farmer in the area, jumped in immediately to save her and pulled the panda up the bank to warm her up. The next day she was collected by the Wolong Giant Panda Protection and taken to their research centre in Sichuan, where they nursed her back to health and then moved her to Fuzhou Panda world, where she currently resides.
Deer Park Biodiversity Base
On September 5th, 2015, Master Hsingyun, a well-known Chinese Buddhist monk, donated the Deer Park (in New York State, USA) to the CBCGDF to support the Foundation’s work in biodiversity conservation and environmental protection. Mr. Hu Deping, general director of the CBCGDF, said the Deer Park will be kept as it was and used as a base for science education.
Safeguarding Environmental Justice in China
Before the revised Environmental Protection Law took into effect in Jan. 1st 2015, Environmental Public Interest Litigation (EPIL) in China experienced a long and hard journey. That was due to the lack of legal basis.
Environmental Public Interest Lawsuit (EPIL)
Environmental public interest litigations (EPIL) are legal actions brought by social organizations on behalf of the public against activities that cause environmental pollution, ecological damage and public interest harm.
Previously, there is no room for social organizations to file lawsuits against polluting companies on behalf of public interest. On Jan. 1, China changed its Environmental Protection Law to allow cases involving accusations of pollution by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as long as they are registered and can demonstrate that they have been actively concerned with environmental issues for five years before their suits are filed.
Since then, by Feb. 2016, China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (abbreviated to CBCGDF) had filed a total of 43 EPIL cases, among which 28 was accepted by the court. For example, CBCGDF filed a litigation on behalf of the plant called “Acer pentaphyllum Diels” against a hydroelectric power company, which is the first EPIL for an endangered plant.
The non-profit organization had a bumpy ride in exploration of environmental justice since the new law taken into effect. And China’s Superior People’s Court made a historical decision to order a lower court to accept one of its EPIL case that was previously been rejected.
EPIL has proven to be very effective on environmental protection, public environmental remedies and sustainable social development.
CBCGDF’s efforts in protecting the country’s environment and safeguarding the people’s environmental justice have been well recognized by the nation, including two of its EPIL cases were selected by “China’s Top Ten Public Interest Litigations in 2015”.
Typical EPIL cases filed by CBCGDF
EPIL against the ConocoPhillips and the CNOOC
The 2011 spills in Bohai Bay began June 4 and persisted until July 12, polluting more than 6,200 square kilometers of water. The oil emanated from an oil field owned by ConocoPhillips China, a subsidiary of ConocoPhillips of Houston, and Beijing-based CNOOC, the country’s leading producer of offshore gas and oil.
CBCGDF filed a suit on July 7, 2016, demanding that the two companies immediately repair the damage in the Bohai Bay's ecosystem to its status before the oil spills. The Maritime Court in Qingdao in northeastern China has accepted the case. This is the first time that a Chinese court has agreed to hear a lawsuit filed by a private public-interest group against two of the country's energy giants over oil spills in the country's waters four years ago.
Media coverage:
Chinese Eco Group Files Landmark Marine Pollution Lawsuit
https://worldmaritimenews.com/archives/167574/chinese-eco-group-files-landmark-
EPIL Against the pollution in Tengger Desert on August 13th 2015
Media coverage:
Tenger Desert Pollution Lawsuit Denied http://english.cri.cn/7146/2015/09/02/3442s894312.htm Desert pollution probe under new environmental law
Http://english.forestry.gov.cn/index.php/forestry-public-security/590-desert-pollution-probe
Supreme People's Court reviews pollution case http://english.court.gov.cn/2015-12/29/content_22942757.htm China Focus: Desert polluters sued in public interest case http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-08/18/c_134530868.htm 8 firms sued for polluting China desert http://www.ecns.cn/2015/08-19/177732.shtml
In pics: Tengger Desert in China's Liangzhou District
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/photo/2015-05/30/c_134283900_4.htm
China’s first EPIL case to safeguard the endangered plant in Sichuan Province
China’s first EPIL case to protect cultural relics in Magu village, Henan Province
Environmental public interest lawsuit against the Volkswagen
Media coverage:
Chinese group piles on VW with diesel scandal lawsuit http://www.autoblog.com/2015/12/20/chinese-group-piles-on-vw-with-diesel-scandal-
lawsuit/
EPIL to safeguard the ecosystem of the Yangtze River in Hubei Province
International Exchanges
The CBCGDF has been learning the advanced practices in environmental conservation from the international society, and cooperating with global NGOs and other organizations to promote biodiversity conservation and green development.
General Secretary of the CBCGDF Mourn Maurice Strong in Canada in January 27th
When being the chief executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN Under-Secretary General, Maurice Strong made contributions to the relationship between Canada and China, and provided great support for work of the CBCGDF. He was awarded the Medal of Service for Human Beings and the Earth in recognition of his contribution to global environmental protection and sustainable development.
Sino-American Air Purification Seminar
In July 2015, the CBCGDF held an air-purification seminar in Beijing. The former US vice-president and Nobel laureate Al Gore participated in the Seminar.
Motion to Hold a Leaders’ Conference for Global Religion and Conservation
In November 2015, General Secretary of the CBCGDF attended the Global Religion and Conservation Conference in Britain. He suggested hold a Leaders’ Conference for Global Religion and Conservation at the conference, which got the favor of Prince Phillip.
Cooperation with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
The CBCGDF signed a three-year Collaborative Research Agreement on Ecological Rehabilitation Foundation with the UNDP, which means the two organizations will make joint efforts to improve people’s environmental awareness and set up an Ecological Rehabilitation Foundation.
Honors
CCTV Law Figures Annual Awards in 2015
Award for Non-profit Organizations in the 5th China Charity Festival
The Foundation filed an EPIL against eight companies relevant to the pollution in the Tengger Desert in 2015. In February 2016 this lawsuit was selected as one of the Ten Influential Public Interests Lawsuit of 2015.
Outstanding Individuals’ Award in Promoting Public Welfare in the 18th Huading Award Ceremony.
Subsidiaries and Special Funds
Organizational Structure
Expert Committee
Law Committee
Green Company Committee
Committee for the Botanic Garden
Green Companies Working Committee
Committee for Natural Reserves and Protected Areas
Hinggan Ecological Development Research Institute
China Bird Watching Society
China Planet Society
Friends of Ancient Village Society
Special Funds
Green Origin Special Fund
Ecological Rehabilitation Special Fund
Low Carbon Travel Special Fund
Future Technology Special Fund
Sakura Special Fund
Guizhou Ecological Rehabilitation Special Fund
Natural and Ecological Protection Special Fund
Energy Conservation and Technology Special Fund
Special Fund for Deserticulture Development
Meta-City Water Origin Protection Fund
Wolf Totem Special Fund
Ice and Snow Special Fund
Special Fund for Soil Restoration, Improvement and Protection
Supporter of UN Global Compact
CBCGDF is a supporter of UN Global Compact
https://www.unglobalcompact.org/what-is-gc/participants/59571-China-Biodiversity-C onservation-and-Green-Development-Foundation
