Roundup: Experts at global eco forum discuss China's green development

This photo taken on July 8, 2023 shows the opening ceremony of Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2023 in Guiyang, the capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

GUIYANG, China, July 9 (Xinhua)  -- Experts on Sunday called for international cooperation while discussing climate change, biodiversity and China's green development at the just-concluded Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2023.

As China's only national-level global forum themed ecological civilization, the event, held online and on-site this year, attracted over 3,200 participants to southwest China's Guizhou Province from government, business and academic sectors.

Michia Moncho, a full-time national community member of the Young Communist League of South Africa responsible for international relations, told the media that what impressed her the most during this trip was the commitment that the people in the country have shown to ecological civilization.

"I saw people taking care of the environment and the environment taking care of them ... I'll take home what I saw here, how China is implementing measures with Chinese characteristics, and we as South Africans can implement them with our characteristics," she said.

Solutions in tandem with the Sustainable Development Goals provide a global roadmap that protects the planet, reduces poverty and leaves no one behind, James George, deputy resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme in China, told Xinhua.

"We are working closely together with China and all partners globally to develop new innovative development actions. Let us utilize this opportunity to share the best practices and new innovative approaches in China that we can share with the rest of the world for mutual exchange and learning for a better planet for everyone," he said.

Tamas Hajba, senior advisor for China and head of the OECD Beijing Office, told Xinhua that China's role in tackling climate change is vital. The country is a world leader in the application of renewable energies.

He also mentioned the importance of international cooperation when addressing environmental issues. "It's very important that we measure biodiversity loss and exchange information and data with each other, and this is the way how we improve our own policies."

This photo taken on July 8, 2023 shows an installation combined with several screens at Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2023 in Guiyang, the capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

Erik Solheim, former executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, said in a keynote speech at the forum that China has several companies dominating future green industries, some even being established in third-tier small cities.

"Global green competition quite often is good," he noted, recalling his experience inviting U.S., Japanese and European car industry representatives to a Chinese auto fair in Shanghai earlier this year. "They saw how far all the Chinese electric vehicle companies have come ... and that creates good green competition."

Deputy Managing Director of the Norwegian Institute for Water Research Thorjorn Larssen told Xinhua that he first visited Guizhou some 30 years ago.

"It's very impressive to see how the air quality has improved and how fast measures are taken to improve," he said, adding "I think China can take an even larger role in global environmental cooperation."

The scientist also mentioned the project he was quite proud of -- the Sino-Norwegian collaboration project on mercury. "We have done a lot of work to map the extent of mercury pollution in China both at the national level and at the local level," he said, noting they collected data and developed methods to understand the situation.

"I hope China can take a leading role in integrating nature and biodiversity on the international agenda," said the expert.