Full Text丨Xi Jinping's keynote speech at the Leaders' Summit of the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity

Jointly build a community of life on earth

Keynote address at the Leaders' Summit of the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity

(12 October 2021)

President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping

Dear colleagues,

Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,

Hello everyone!

It is a great pleasure to meet you in Kunming via video link to attend the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. On behalf of the Chinese Government and the Chinese people, and in my own name, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all guests.

"To each his own harmony to live, to each his own nourishment. "Biodiversity is what makes the planet alive and is the foundation for human survival and development. Protecting biodiversity helps to preserve the planet and promote sustainable human development.

With the theme of "Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth", the Kunming Conference promoted the formulation of the "Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework" and set goals and clear paths for future global biodiversity conservation, which is of great significance. The international community should strengthen cooperation, think with one mind and work together to build a community for all life on earth.

Man and nature should live in harmony. Nature's reward is generous when humans are friendly enough to protect it, and its punishment is merciless when it is brutally plundered. We should have a deep sense of reverence for nature, respect nature, conform to nature, protect nature, and build a home on earth where man and nature coexist in harmony.

Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. A good ecological environment is not only a natural wealth, but also an economic wealth, which is related to the potential and stamina of economic and social development. We need to accelerate the formation of a green development mode, promote a win-win situation for economic development and environmental protection, and build a home on earth where the economy and the environment work together.

The pandemic has cast a shadow over global development and made it even more challenging to advance the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Faced with the dual tasks of restoring the economy and protecting the environment, developing countries need help and support even more. We need to strengthen solidarity and overcome difficulties together, so that the fruits of development and a sound ecology can benefit people of all countries in a more equitable manner, and build a home for common development of all countries in the world.

We are living in a time of great challenges and hope. The future is promising. For the sake of our common future, we must work together to embark on a new journey of high-quality human development.

First, we should take the construction of ecological civilization as the guide and coordinate the relationship between man and nature. We must solve the contradictions brought about by industrial civilization, limit human activities to the limits that the ecological environment can bear, and carry out integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes, grasslands and sands.

Second, we need to be driven by green transformation to contribute to global sustainable development. We need to establish a green, low-carbon and circular economy system, transform ecological advantages into development advantages, and make lucid waters and lush mountains produce huge benefits. We need to strengthen international cooperation on green issues and share the fruits of green development.

Third, we should focus on people's well-being and promote social fairness and justice. We need to keep in mind the people's yearning for a better life, achieve a win-win situation in all aspects, such as protecting the environment, developing the economy, creating jobs and eradicating poverty, and enhance the sense of gain, happiness and security of people in all countries.

Fourth, we need to uphold a fair and reasonable international governance system based on international law. We need to practice true multilateralism and effectively abide by and implement international rules. The setting of new environmental protection targets should be balanced between ambition and pragmatism, so as to make the global environmental governance system fairer and more equitable.

Dear colleagues,

China has achieved remarkable results in the construction of ecological civilization. Some time ago, the journey of Yunnan elephants to the north and back showed us the results of China's wildlife protection. China will continue to promote the construction of ecological civilization, unswervingly implement the new development concept of innovation, coordination, green, openness and sharing, and build a beautiful China.

Here, I would like to announce that China will take the lead in investing 1.5 billion yuan to establish the Kunming Biodiversity Fund to support biodiversity conservation in developing countries. China calls on and welcomes all parties to contribute to the Fund.

In order to strengthen the conservation of biodiversity, China is speeding up the construction of a nature reserve system with national parks as the main body, and gradually incorporating the areas with the most important natural ecosystems, the most unique natural landscapes, the most essential natural heritage, and the richest biodiversity into the national park system. China has officially established the first batch of national parks, including Sanjiangyuan, Giant Panda, Northeast Tiger and Leopard, Hainan Tropical Rainforest, and Wuyi Mountain, covering an area of 230,000 square kilometers and covering nearly 30% of the national key protected wild animals and plants in the terrestrial area. At the same time, in line with the principle of combining in-situ conservation and ex situ conservation, the construction of national botanical garden systems in Beijing and Guangzhou was launched.

In order to promote the realization of the goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality, China will successively release implementation plans and a series of supporting and safeguard measures for carbon peaking in key areas and industries, and build a "1+N" policy system for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. China will continue to promote the adjustment of industrial structure and energy structure, vigorously develop renewable energy, and accelerate the planning and construction of large-scale wind power and photovoltaic base projects in desert, Gobi and desert areas, and the first phase of the project with an installed capacity of about 100 million kilowatts has started in an orderly manner in the near future.

Dear colleagues,

人不负青山，青山定不负人。生态文明是人类文明发展的历史趋势。让我们携起手来，秉持生态文明理念，站在为子孙后代负责的高度，Jointly build a community of life on earth，共同建设清洁美丽的世界！

Editor: Nie Yi