Spotlight on COP16 | "China Pavilion" Event VIII: The "Promoting the Multiple Values of Biodiversity Enhances the Well-being of Local Communities" International Seminar was Successfully held

 

On October 25, 2024, local time,the international seminar titled "Promoting the Multiple Values of Biodiversity Enhances the Well-being of Local Communities" was successfully held at the China Pavilion of COP16 in Cali, Colombia. Liu Ning, a first-level inspector of the Nature and Ecology Protection Department of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, attended and delivered a speech, while Quan Zhanjun, the vice president of the Chinese Academy of Environmental Sciences, presided over the meeting.

 

 

The Honorary President of the Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning, Wang Jinnan, delivered a keynote speech titled "Increasing Ecological Public Investment to Promote the Protection of Wetland Biodiversity," highlighting the importance of ecological investment in the conservation of wetland ecosystems. Sonwabise Mzaidise, CEO of the South African National Biodiversity Institute, George Neba Akwah, Senior Project Manager at the United Nations Environment Programme, Zou Yueyu, Project Officer at the Natural Sciences Sector of UNESCO, and Hou Yuanqing, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Green Carbon Foundation, also gave speeches on the multiple values of biodiversity and related community welfare issues.

 

 

The seminar also featured a roundtable forum segment, chaired by Xiao Nengwen, Deputy Director of the Ecological Institute of the Chinese Academy of Environmental Sciences, and Peng Kui, Project Director of the Global Environment Institute. Representatives from the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies, the Biodiversity Strategy Office of the Nature Conservation Bureau of the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, the Beijing Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau, and the Peasant Seed Network, among other institutions, participated in the event. They engaged in in-depth discussions on two topics: "Policy Formulation" and "Practical Pathways" for effectively advancing biodiversity conservation and enhancing community well-being.

 

 

Participants unanimously agreed that protecting biodiversity is not only necessary for environmental sustainability but also an important pathway to enhance community well-being and achieve social equity. The conference emphasized the critical role of biodiversity in maintaining ecosystem services, promoting economic development, ensuring community welfare, and combating climate change, calling on all parties to take action to jointly protect our shared natural heritage.