COP15 UN Biodiversity Conference has agreed on “the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework”. Its significance has been compared by many to the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. As China hosted the COP15 Presidency, 12 Chinese local governments had participated the 7th Summit for Subnational Governments & Cities on December 11-12 and China Day at the Subnational Governments & Cities Pavilion hosted by ICLEI. It was the first time in the SCBD history that many Chinese local governments demonstrated their best practice and forged the exchanges with other cities and partners contributing to the global biodiversity framework.

The momentum continues after the COP15. Guiyang city, one of the frontier ICLEI members located in the Southwest China, hosted the first-ever city wide Biodiversity Outcome Exhibition in January 2023. Guiyang is China’s first ecological civilization demonstration city and the pilot zone of the national ecological civilization experimental area, which has been applying the ecological strategy to boost city’s green development. In recent years, Guiyang city also mobilizes big data to set up an ecological environment management system that helped the city to complete its legal system for ecological protection, issuing the first local law and regulation in China to promote ecological civilization and low-carbon development.

The Exhibition held on 3 to 7 January, 2023, was co-organized by Guiyang Gui’an Green Economic Development Leading Group, the Advocacy Department of Guiyang CPC, Guiyang Ecology and Environment Bureau, and supported by Guiyang Ecological Civilization Foundation. Under the main branding of “Cooling Guiyang”, the Exhibition has five themed exhibition areas: “Natural Pearls”, “Magnificent Land”, “Creatures in Caves”, “Beautiful Mountains and Waters”, and “Miracles in Waters”. By collecting the latest biodiversity survey and assessment data, the Exhibition introduced the endangered species, national protected species, and endemic species in Guizhou, Guiyang newly recorded species and other species, showcasing the city’s ecological resource advantages and biodiversity protection achievements.

 

Five themed exhibition areas

 

Prior to the Exhibition, Guiyang, Beijing, Guangzhou and other cities at the same time launched the investigation and evaluation of biodiversity’s status in the whole area, which was the first time in history. Guiyang’s investigation and evaluation was led by the Guiyang Ecology and Environment Bureau, and conducted for three years. This practice took the lead in the province, filling the “gap” in the data of biological background resources in Guiyang.

Guiyang will take the exhibition as a momentum to implement the city’s ecological strategy into a deeper level and to better promote the protection of biodiversity in the city. Guiyang will focus on improving the diversity, stability, and sustainability of the ecosystem, and broadly gather consensus on cherishing all things and caring for life among the citizens.

Additionally, Guiyang has also been famous for hosting the Eco Forum Global (EFG) since 2009. EFG, approved by the central government, is the only national and international high-end forum with the theme of ecological civilization in China, and ICLEI has been the key partner of the Forum for many years. The Eco Forum Global 2023 is scheduled to take place in July 2023. Guiyang and ICLEI would like to cordially welcome the cities and partners from all over the world to attend the Forum and experience the hospitality of “Cool Guiyang”.