The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) offered recommendations for the Chinese Government on how to accelerate implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). The AGM also encouraged the government to “maintain strategic determination and firmly implement the ‘dual-carbon’ goal,” among other policy recommendations.
The AGM called for establishing a biodiversity expert group to facilitate engagement, coordination, and implementation at the national and international levels. It also called for developing a systematic and comprehensive methodology to assess the ecological and environmental impacts of subsidy policies, beginning with agriculture, forestry, and fisheries as pilots.
The 31st AGM convened in Beijing, China, from 28-30 August 2023, under the theme, ‘Green Transition for High-Quality Development: Modernization in Harmony with Nature.’ Discussions drew on proposed pathways and policy recommendations contained in eight Special Policy Studies undertaken in the preceding year:
- Pathways for Achieving Carbon Neutrality and China’s Role in Global Climate Governance;
- Pathways and Policies of Blue Economy in Supporting Carbon-Neutrality Target;
- Collaborative Mechanism for Pollution Reduction, Carbon Reduction, Green Expansion, and Growth;
- High-Quality Development of River Basins and Adaptation to Climate Change;
- Promoting Digitalization and Green Technologies for Sustainable Development;
- Trade and Sustainable Supply Chains;
- Innovative Mechanism of Sustainable Investment in Environment and Climate; and
- Sustainable Development Innovation Mechanism Boosted by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
According to the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) summary report, the meeting showcased examples of “the positive feedback loops that link low-carbon development, digitalization, and market-based innovation.” Speakers drew attention to China’s 2023 renewable energy targets, and highlighted “China’s leadership in creating new, data-driven smart cities and regions based on data center integration, and its contribution to bridging data gaps in monitoring the [SDGs] and associated innovations in ‘integrated policymaking and governance.’”
The ENB summary report further notes that a core issue cited by speakers was “the need to further enhance synergies to tackle the triple planetary crisis [of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution], including through more innovative financing mechanisms.” The “innovative use of enhanced international green credit arrangements, such as debt-for-nature swaps,” emerged as a “promising tool” in this regard. [ENB Coverage of 2023 CCICED Annual General Meeting]