"I have been to Xiamen, Fujian, China many times, and the scenery there is very stunning. In my opinion, Xiamen is a garden city that pursues the harmonious coexistence of people and the sea. Peter Thomson, the special envoy of the UN Secretary-General for ocean affairs, said in an exclusive interview with this reporter a few days ago.
In October 2005, Xiamen held the "Xiamen International Ocean City Forum" for the first time, and the participants signed the "Xiamen Declaration" on global sustainable development cooperation, and unanimously proposed to hold the "International Ocean Week" in Xiamen on a regular basis. Since 2007, the "Xiamen International Ocean City Forum" has been officially upgraded to "Xiamen International Ocean Week", which is held in Xiamen in November every year. "Xiamen actively participates in international maritime cooperation. In my opinion, Xiamen International Ocean Week is an important addition to the International Ocean Conference and has become an influential platform that occupies an important place in a series of international conferences to discuss ocean action. Thomson said.
Since the 90s of the 20th century, Xiamen has carried out mangrove protection and restoration planting, and scientifically managed the coastal zone. When Thomson visited Xiamen for the first time in 2018, he made a special visit to Xiatanwei Mangrove Park, which was still in the early stages of development at the time, and cited it many times in his speeches around the world as a model for mangrove restoration. Mangroves, like coastal wetlands and seagrass habitats, are critical to healthy coastal ecosystems, Thomson said. In November last year, Thomson visited Xiatanwei Mangrove Park again during his third participation in Xiamen International Ocean Week, believing that Xiamen has achieved a balance between ecological protection and economic development, and expects it to provide a "Xiamen sample" for international marine ecological environment governance.
"Many of China's efforts to promote the development of an ecological civilization are encouraging."Thomson said that the ocean is one of the world's main repositories of biodiversity, accounting for more than 90% of the Earth's habitat, and humanity has a responsibility to give the ocean the respect it deserves. "I am deeply impressed by China's contribution to the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) (Ocean Decade). I look forward to working closely with my Chinese colleagues to achieve the Ocean Decade goals by 2030 and implement the 14th Goal of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development." ”
At the end of 2022, the second phase of the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, drawing a new blueprint for global biodiversity governance up to 2030 and beyond. "The implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is conducive to the realization of harmonious coexistence between man and nature, and I appreciate China's active role in promoting the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Thomson said this year the United Nations will push for a treaty aimed at curbing plastic pollution by taking meaningful steps to reduce marine pollution at its source. "This is an important step in improving global environmental governance, and I believe that China's role in this is crucial. ”
In recent years, China has led the world in the growth of installed renewable energy capacity. Thomson said that China's leading role in providing affordable solar energy to the world is an important driving force for the implementation of the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change. "Also commendable is China's investment in wind energy and electric vehicle manufacturing. I have an electric car made in China myself, and I'd love to drive it. ”
Thomson said that China firmly supports multilateralism, faithfully implements international conventions, and plays an important role in global environmental governance. "In terms of environmental governance, upholding multilateralism can promote the international community to build consensus and promote the implementation of agreements. We have every reason to believe that China is at the forefront of the world in upholding multilateralism. ”