Fund to support biodiversity protection in developing countries 'much-needed'

Overseas experts have heaped praise on President Xi Jinping's speech at the COP 15 meeting, saying it is a "true testament" to China's remarkable progress in going green and gives impetus to other countries to follow suit.

Xi called on Tuesday for efforts to build a community of all life on Earth when addressing the Leaders' Summit of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity via video link.

"Protecting biodiversity helps protect Earth, our common homeland, and contributes to humanity's sustainable development," he said.

Dennis Munene, executive director of the China-Africa Center at the Africa Policy Institute, said the speech was "a true testament and commitment of China's remarkable progress in building an ecological civilization that is guided to harmonize the relationship between man and nature".

China is "leading from the front in the pursuit of sustainable ecological civilization", Munene added.

In his speech, Xi pledged to invest 1.5 billion yuan ($233 million) to establish a Kunming Biodiversity Fund to support biodiversity protection in developing countries.

He added that China will continue to adjust its industrial structure and energy mix, vigorously develop renewable energy, and make faster progress on planning and developing large wind-power and photovoltaic bases in sandy areas, rocky areas and deserts.

Shada Islam, an influential commentator on European Union affairs and founder of the New Horizons Project, a Brussels-based global strategy and media advisory firm, said the pledge is "an important financial and political initiative".

"It injects much-needed money into international biodiversity protection initiatives, especially at a time when many developing countries are still struggling with COVID-19 and its economic fallout," Islam said.

Xi's pledge to accelerate the development of clean power in China "is also reassuring for those who are concerned about China's continuing reliance on coal-powered plants", she said.

"It may also encourage other Asian countries to increase their own use of renewable energies," she added. "It also gives political urgency to the question ahead of next year's COP 15 UN Biodiversity Conference. It would be important that other countries follow China's lead."

Beate Trankmann, resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme in China, said Xi's speech reflected a belief in the importance of putting nature at the heart of development.

"It was very encouraging to see China's continued commitment to biodiversity protection conveyed in President Xi's speech," she said.

As the host of COP 15, China's political will and support for environmental conservation and biodiversity governance is of particular importance as it drives agreement toward an ambitious, concrete, and implementable post-2020 global biodiversity framework, Trankmann said.

It is the first time that China is leading the world to a major agreement on the environment and Xi's remarks are an important indication that China intends to continue playing a leading role, she added.

Tata Mustasya, climate and energy campaign strategist at Greenpeace Southeast Asia, also voiced support for Xi's call for sustainable development.

"One of the most important points Xi mentioned in his speech is the need to transform our efforts to facilitate global sustainable development," Mustasya said. "I also support his call to build a green economic system, improve people's welfare and promote social equity.

"We need global effort to tackle climate change."

Helena Varkkey, a senior lecturer in the Department of International and Strategic Studies at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, welcomed the establishment of the Kunming Biodiversity Fund.

"To have a major developing country like China take leading steps in the agenda for biodiversity is significant," she said. "It underlines how developing countries can also meaningfully contribute to the agenda, and also gives impetus for Belt and Road partners to follow in China's footsteps."

Zhao Ruinan contributed to this story.