On the Modernization Road of Harmonious Coexistence between Man and Nature – Huang Runqiu, Minister of Ecology and Environment, Talks on Hot Issues of Ecological and Environmental Protection
Xinhua News Agency reporters Gao Jing and Xiong Feng
How to understand the modernization of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature? How to promote high-quality development through high-level protection? What role has China played as the Chair of the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15)?
On the 5th, at the first session of the 14th National People’s Congress, the Minister of Ecology and Environment, Huang Runqiu, responded to relevant hot issues in the field of ecological and environmental protection.
On the Modernization Road of Harmonious Coexistence between Man and Nature
The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed that Chinese path to modernization is a modernization in which man and nature coexist in harmony. Huang Runqiu stated that China is a developing country with a population of over 1.4 billion, with a large population, weak resource and environmental carrying capacity, and strong constraints. To move towards a modern society as a whole, it is not feasible to pursue a path of large-scale emissions of pollutants, consumption of natural resources, and low-level and extensive development. The carrying capacity of resources and environment is also unsustainable. Therefore, it is necessary to pursue a modern path of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, there have been historic, transitional, and global changes in China’s ecological environment protection. Huang Runqiu said that ten years of practice showed that the modernization of harmonious coexistence between man and nature reflected the essential difference between Chinese path to modernization and western modernization.
He stated that in terms of philosophy, China adheres to the principle that green waters and mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains, and regards respecting, conforming to, and protecting nature as internal requirements for development; In terms of road and path selection, China adheres to protection in development, development in protection, ecological priority, and green development; In terms of methods, China emphasizes a systematic concept, adheres to the integrated protection and systematic governance of mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes, grasslands, and sands, and coordinates industrial structure adjustment, pollution control, ecological protection, and response to climate change.
These are all models and experiences that developing countries can learn from when moving towards modernization, “Huang Runqiu said. The next step is to comprehensively promote carbon reduction, pollution reduction, green expansion, and growth, and continue to promote the modernization construction of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.
Imprinting a Chinese brand on the process of global biodiversity governance
Huang Runqiu stated that the trend of global biodiversity loss has not been fundamentally reversed. The international community is particularly concerned about China as the Chair of the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15).
In October 2021, China held the first phase of COP15 in Kunming, Yunnan. Last December, China led and promoted the successful convening of the second phase of COP15 in Montreal, Canada.
He introduced that the most historic and milestone achievement of the second phase of the conference was the promotion of the “Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework” and a package of supporting policy measures, including financial mechanisms, which clearly defined the funding provided by developed countries to developing countries for biodiversity governance, as well as the mechanism for the landing of genetic resource digital sequence information.
He stated that these achievements have drawn a blueprint, set goals, clarified paths, and consolidated strength for global biodiversity governance, which has been widely recognized by the international community.
This is also the first time China, as the presidency, has led and promoted the successful negotiation of major environmental issues at the United Nations, laying a deep Chinese imprint on the process of global biodiversity governance, “Huang Runqiu said.
When discussing the experience of biodiversity conservation in China that can be used for global reference, Huang Runqiu mentioned that the ecological civilization concept of green waters and green mountains being golden mountains and silver mountains has been widely recognized by the international community. At the same time, China has established an ecological protection red line system, with a land red line area accounting for over 30%, which is unique in the world.
Source: Xinhua Network
Post time: Jun-01-2023