Opening Remarks by Ambassador Zhang Jun at Thematic Webinar “COP15: Road to Kunming, Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth”
张军大使在《生物多样性公约》缔约方大会第十五次会议的“通向昆明之路，共建地球生命共同体”主题网络研讨会上的开幕辞
21 May 2021
2021年5月21日
Distinguished Secretary-General Guterres,
President Bozkir,
President Akram,
Executive Secretary Mrema,
Minister Huang Runqiu,
Excellencies, Colleagues.
尊敬的古特雷斯秘书长，
博兹科尔主席，
阿克拉姆主席，
穆雷玛执秘，
黄润秋部长，
各位大使、各位同事：
Welcome to today’s webinar.
欢迎大家出席今天的研讨会。
May 22 marks the International Day for Biological Diversity and May 21 the second International Tea Day. The designation of these two days by the UN General Assembly aims to promote better ecological conservation and global sustainable development. This year, CBD COP15 will be held in Kunming from October 11 to 24. At the UN Summit on Biodiversity last September, President Xi Jinping welcomed all parties to the beautiful “Spring City” of Kunming, to discuss and draw up plans together for protecting global biodiversity. Currently, the preparation for COP15 is being advanced in an active and orderly fashion.
5月22日是“国际生物多样性日”，5月21日是第二个“国际茶日”。联大设立这两个国际日的初衷，都是更好地保护生态环境，促进全球可持续发展。众所周知，《生物多样性公约》第15次缔约方大会（COP15）将于今年10月11日至24日在中国昆明举行。在去年9月生物多样性峰会上，中华人民共和国主席习近平诚挚邀请各方聚首美丽春城昆明，共商全球生物多样性保护大计。目前COP15各项筹备工作正在积极有序推进。
To celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity and International Tea Day, and respond to the high attention to COP15, we, the Permanent Mission of China to the UN, the Secretariat of the CBD, and the FAO together host this webinar to update you on the COP15 preparation, and have in-depth discussion on biodiversity protection, in a bid to contribute to a successful conference in Kunming.
为庆祝“国际生物多样性日”和“国际茶日”，回应各方对COP15的高度关注，中国常驻团、《生物多样性公约》秘书处、联合国粮农组织共同举办这场研讨会，旨在同大家分享COP15筹备最新进展，就生物多样性保护议题深入交流，为成功举行昆明大会作出贡献。
2021 is a crucial year for global environmental governance. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage, it is important for the international community to reflect on the relations between man and nature, and with a sense of urgency, tackle challenges such as biodiversity loss, environmental deterioration and climate change, and foster a community of life for man and nature.
2021年是全球环境治理的关键之年。在新冠肺炎疫情持续肆虐的背景下，国际社会需要深刻思考人与自然关系，以时不我待的紧迫感，有效应对生物多样性丧失、环境退化、气候变化等挑战，构建人与自然生命共同体。
We need to respect nature, protect it, and follow its laws to advance global ecological civilization. Our solutions are in Nature. Systemic spoil of nature will take away the foundation of human survival and development, and will leave us like a river without a source and a tree without its roots. The international community should pay greater attention to this issue. We should protect nature and the ecological environment like we protect our eyes, and strive for harmonious co-existence between man and nature with unprecedented ambition and action.
我们要尊重自然、顺应自然、保护自然，推进全球生态文明建设。“以自然之道，养万物之生”。自然系统遭到破坏，人类生存发展就成了无源之水、无本之木。国际社会要进一步加大重视，像保护眼睛一样保护自然和生态环境，拿出前所未有的雄心和行动，向人与自然和谐共生的目标不断迈进。
We need to pursue sustainable development so that we can recover better and faster. Green mountains are gold mountains. A sound ecological environment itself means productivity. It offers the foundation for us to achieve SDGs such as reducing poverty, ending hunger, and creating jobs, and greatly enhances the happiness and sense of gains for people around the world. The international community should follow the trend of green development to upgrade economic, energy and industrial structure, to support post-pandemic recovery and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
我们要秉持可持续发展理念，实现更好更快复苏。“绿水青山就是金山银山”。良好的生态环境就是生产力，是实现减贫、消除饥饿、创造就业等可持续发展目标的保障，也能极大提升各国人民幸福感、获得感。国际社会要顺应绿色发展大势，推进经济、能源、产业结构转型升级，为疫后复苏和落实2030年议程提供支撑。
We need to step up actions and cooperation for better global environmental governance. The international community must uphold multilateralism and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities to deepen the global partnership of win-win cooperation. Developed countries should make concrete efforts to provide developing countries with financial, technological and capacity-building support. We need to work for the adoption of a comprehensive, balanced, ambitious and implementable post-2020 framework of action at COP15. In addition, we need to strengthen coordination with other UN meetings such as the Food Systems Summit, the Global Sustainable Transport Conference and the Glasgow Climate Change Conference (COP26), to create synergy for promoting sustainable development.
我们要提升行动与合作力度，加强全球环境治理。国际社会应坚持多边主义，坚持共同但有区别的责任原则，深化合作共赢的全球伙伴关系，推动发达国家切实为发展中国家提供资金、技术、能力建设等方面支持。要共同推动COP15达成全面平衡、有力度、可执行的后2020行动框架，并与联合国粮食系统峰会、全球可持续交通大会、格拉斯哥气候大会（COP26）等会议加强协调，形成合力，奏响可持续发展的交响曲。
As one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, China adopts a holistic approach to conserving the mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes and grasslands, and is committed to ecological civilization and promoting a fair and equitable system of global environmental governance for win-win cooperation. China tops the world in forest resource increase over the past decade. 90% of terrestrial ecosystem types and 85% of key wild animal populations in China have been effectively protected. The area of desertified land in China, which used to increase by 10,040 square kilometers annually, now decreases by 2,424 square kilometers per year. We also strive to achieve carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. Guided by the vision of green development and the 2030 Agenda, China helps other developing countries combat biodiversity loss and climate change through Belt and Road cooperation and South-South cooperation to benefit their people.
作为世界上生物多样性最丰富的国家之一，中国坚持山水林田湖草生命共同体，坚定不移建设生态文明，推动构建公平合理、合作共赢的全球环境治理体系。中国的森林资源过去10年增长面积居全球首位，90%的陆地生态系统类型和85%的重点野生动物种群得到有效保护，荒漠化土地面积由年均扩展1.04万平方公里转变为年均缩减2424平方公里，并将力争2030年前实现碳达峰、2060年前实现碳中和。中国以绿色为底色，以2030年议程为标准，通过共建“一带一路”、南南合作等渠道，帮助发展中国家应对生物多样性丧失和气候变化等挑战，造福各国人民。
China will continue to earnestly fulfill its obligations as the host country and work with all countries for a productive and historic COP15. Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu will later update you in detail on the preparation for COP15. We look forward to your active discussion and valuable suggestions regarding the preparatory work.
中方将继续认真履行东道国义务，同各国一道努力，把COP15办成一届成果丰硕、具有里程碑意义的大会。稍后，中国生态环境部黄润秋部长将详细介绍COP15筹备情况，期待大家积极参与讨论，为COP15筹备工作建言献策。
Thank you.
谢谢大家！