China on Monday appreciated the comprehensive and pragmatic report submitted by the UN Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
The report introduced good practices of environmental protection in more than 170 countries, including China, according to Liu Hua, Special Representative for Human Rights of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, at the interactive dialogue held at the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council.
Liu said that ecological conservation and environmental protection benefit future generations, and lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.
Economic development must not be traded at the expense of the ecological environment, Liu stressed, saying that China has proposed the strategic task for developing an ecological civilization and building a beautiful China.
As the special rapporteur pointed out, she said, China attaches great importance to the development and utilization of renewable energy sources, and is among the top five countries in the world in generating electricity from wind and solar.
"We have actively promoted significant progress in addressing climate change and energy conservation and emission reduction. The intensity of carbon dioxide emissions has continued to decline, and the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption has gradually increased," she said.
The Chinese diplomat also introduced that China's total installed electricity generating capacity of renewable energy accounts for 30 percent of the world's total, the increased forest stock volume has already met the 2030 target in advance, the discharge of major pollutants has dropped significantly, and the quality of the ecological environment has continued to improve.
Liu added by saying that this year is a critical year for global environmental governance, the international community will formulate a global biodiversity framework for post-2020, and the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) will be held in October 2020 in Kunming, China.
She said that as a responsible developing country, China will continue to work with the international community to strengthen cooperation in areas such as environmental management, strengthen legislation, increase public awareness and participation, and environmental technology innovation, and make unremitting efforts to build a community of shared future for mountains, rivers and forests.
Editor:Cherie
