Chinese president attends COP15 leaders' summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech via video link at the leaders' summit of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) held in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 12, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

BEIJING, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping attended and addressed the leaders' summit of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity via video link in Beijing and called on the international community to enhance cooperation, build consensus and pool strength to build a community of all life on Earth.

Noting that biodiversity makes Earth full of vigor and vitality, and lays the foundation for human survival and development, Xi said protecting biodiversity helps protect Earth, our common homeland, and contributes to humanity's sustainable development.

The Kunming conference will work for the conclusion of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, and identify targets and pathways for global biodiversity protection in the future, Xi said.

He stressed the need to respect Nature, follow Nature's laws, protect Nature, and build a homeland of harmonious coexistence between man and Nature.

"A sound ecology and environment is not just a natural asset, but also an economic asset, and it affects the potential and momentum of economic and social development," Xi said, calling for speeding up efforts to foster a green way of development and securing a win-win of economic growth and environmental protection.

Noting that the COVID-19 pandemic has cast a shadow over global development, Xi said developing countries in the face of the dual tasks of economic recovery and environmental protection "need help and support all the more."

"We need to strengthen solidarity to overcome difficulties and let people across countries benefit more and in a fairer way from development outcomes and a sound environment," Xi said.

"We are living in an era both fraught with challenges and full of hopes," Xi said. "For the sake of our common future, we need to join hands and start a new journey of high-quality development for humanity."

The development of ecological civilization should be taken as a guide to coordinate the relationship between man and Nature, Xi stressed, adding that human activities need to be kept within the limits of the ecology and environment, and holistic conservation and systematic governance of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and deserts need to be carried out.

Xi urged efforts to let green transition drive people's efforts to facilitate global sustainable development.

"We need to build a green, low-carbon and circular economic system, translate ecological strengths into development strengths, and bring out the great benefit that green mountains and clear waters can offer. We also need to step up green international cooperation and share the fruits of green development among all countries," said the president.

Stressing the need to better people's well-being to promote social equity and justice, Xi called for pursuing win-win results in environmental protection, economic development, job creation, poverty alleviation and other endeavors, and increase the sense of fulfillment, happiness and security of people in all countries.

"We shall take international law as the basis to uphold a fair and equitable international governance system," Xi said, adding that people need to practice true multilateralism, and effectively honor and implement international rules.

He also said that the new environmental protection targets people set need to be ambitious on the one hand and pragmatic and balanced on the other.

Noting China has made remarkable progress in building an ecological civilization, Xi said China will continue to advance ecological progress, stay committed to implementing the new development philosophy emphasizing innovative, coordinated, green and open development for all, and build a beautiful China.

Xi announced China's initiative to establish the Kunming Biodiversity Fund and take the lead by investing 1.5 billion yuan (about 233 million U.S. dollars) to support biodiversity protection in developing countries.

China calls on and welcomes all parties to make contributions to the fund, Xi said.

Pointing out that China is moving faster to establish a protected areas system with national parks as the mainstay, Xi said areas with the greatest importance to the natural ecosystem, and with the most unique natural landscapes, the most valuable natural heritage and the greatest biodiversity reserve will be included in the national parks system over time.

To achieve its carbon peak and neutrality targets, China will release implementation plans for peaking carbon dioxide emissions in key areas and sectors as well as a series of supporting measures, the president said.

The country will also put in place a "1+N" policy framework for carbon peak and carbon neutrality, he said.

China will continue to readjust its industrial structure and energy mix, vigorously develop renewable energy, and make faster progress in planning and developing large wind power and photovoltaic bases in sandy areas, rocky areas and deserts, Xi said.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, French President Emmanuel Macron, Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov, Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape and Britain's Prince Charles also attended the summit via video.