On 12th of March, the IIGF Green BRI Center was invited to participate in a workshop hosted by John McKinnon concerning biodiversity governance in China. The workshop explored ideas to address issues of improving engagement between China and international initiatives.

The workshop was opened by Ma Keping, who highlighted the importance of pursuing nature conservation in China, notably through the China Ecological Conservation Red Line (ECRL).

The workshop continued with the presentation of the work and analysis of expert institutes and organizations, including:

  • Li Lin from WWF,
  • Shi Jianbin from the Paulson Institute,
  • Doug Watkins from the East Asia Australasia Flyway Partnership (EAAFP),
  • Guo Yingfeng from the Yellow Sea cooperation under Global Environmental Facility (GEF),
  • Mundita Lim from the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity,
  • Xu Weihua from The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS),
  • Zhang Fengchun from The Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences  (CRAES),
  • and Alice Hughes from CAS and the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development  (CCICED).

Aurélie Chane-Yook, a biodiversity finance researcher of the IIGF Green BRI Center presented the impact and opportunities of the BRI on biodiversity, going through BRI cases in need of improvement, and tools for better green governance on the BRI.

China-EU Biodiversity Workshop

The ensuing panel discussion highlighted the necessity and challenges of developing international cooperation for the conservation of nature, especially on the establishment of standards and tools for biodiversity measurement and valuation. 

“Putting biodiversity center stage, as it was done for climate, is becoming a global urgency”

Alice Hughes.

If China wants to be able to export its concept of environmental philosophy, notably on the BRI, it will have to accelerate the adoption of biding measures for biodiversity conservation domestically and internationally.

In the study, the authors determined key areas where China still needs improvement including :

  • Paying more attention to coastal and marine conservation;
  • Promoting wider ecological awareness;
  •  Encouraging greater co-management and engagement by local communities;
  • Greater mainstreaming of biodiversity conservation into the broader development agenda rather than expecting one or two agencies to deal with this cross-sectoral topic;
  • Ensuring the supremacy of ecological red line over other red lines and development plans;
  • Applying the one health approach.

Looking forward to the COP15, this study will help strengthen collaboration between China and the EU. Both European and Chinese governmental and non-governmental stakeholders will be able to better collaborate to reproduce in the EU the models that have worked for China, and work toward collaboratively solving areas that need improvement within China.

This workshop was organised under a framework contract implemented by Project Planning and Management Ltd, Sofia. on behalf of the European Commission to carry out a study to support knowledge and experience sharing of biodiversity governance initiatives in preparation of the COP15

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Aurélie Chane-Yook was a researcher at the Green BRI Center at IIGF.

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