Guided by the theme “For Nature and Humanity: Building a Community of Life Together” the CCICED Annual General Meeting 2021 took place from 7 to 10 September.
Against the backdrop of global disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and worsening biodiversity and climate crises, participants from around the world convened for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED). Guided by the theme “For Nature and Humanity: Building a Community of Life Together,” experts from governments, academia, the business community, and civil society discussed the research findings and recommendations arising from CCICED’s Special Policy Studies (SPSs) on critical issues related to the environment and development. The recommendations are designed to inform China’s environment and development policies and practices, including its domestic policies, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and contributions to global environmental governance processes.
Discussions throughout the meeting took place in open forums and plenary sessions from Tuesday to Thursday, 7-9 September. Speakers emphasized the urgency of the climate and biodiversity crises and the impacts they are already having on economies and well-being. On the German side, Stephan CONTIUS (Commissioner for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Head of Division (United Nations, Developing Countries and Emerging Economies); German Federal Environment Ministry (BMU)) in his function as CCICED Special Advisor and SPS Expert as well as Prof. Dirk MESSNER (President of the German Environment Agency (UBA)) in his function as CCICED Council Member and SPS Co-Team Lead digitally participated. Mr CONTIUS spoke in the plenary session of the opening event and gave a keynote speech in the Open Forum “Ecological Civilization: Building a Harmonized and Beautiful World for All”. Prof MESSNER contributed a keynote speech to the Open Forum “Low carbon transition and green tech innovation driven by carbon neutrality”. The Sino-German Environmental Partnership supported the German participation logistically and organisationally and represented the German participants on‑site in Beijing.
