Nation looks for balanced targets at COP 15 conference

Patrolmen monitor the tropical forests deep in the Gaoligong Mountains nature reserve in western Yunnan province in late December. [Photo/Xinhua]

Ecological civilization is a concept promoted by President Xi Jinping for balanced and sustainable development that features the harmonious coexistence of people and nature.

A hot topic and an expected highlight of the conference, the framework is also a major challenge for the biennial gathering, Cui said.

He said China looks forward to seeing the framework reflect the three objectives of the convention－the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the sharing of the benefits－in a balanced manner.

With lessons borrowed from the 2010 Aichi Biodiversity Targets, China hopes that the framework will be ambitious and balanced.

Aside from offering guidance for future global efforts, goals should be set in a scientific, reasonable and sustainable manner, Cui said.

Passed at COP 10 in Nagoya, Japan, the Aichi targets included 20 ambitious conservation goals to safeguard global biodiversity until 2020, ranging from preventing the extinction of threatened species to halving the rate of forest loss.

However, many of the goals were not met.

Cui said the framework should also accommodate the concerns of developing countries.

"The capability of the world, especially the developing nations, should be brought into consideration when setting the targets," he said. "As to the mechanisms on resources mobilization, implementation and evaluation, support for developing countries should be enhanced."

The ministry said China has made marked progress in protecting key species.

Thanks to the establishment of 250 stations for wildlife rescue and breeding, more than 300 rare and endangered species of wild animals and plants have seen their populations recover. The number of wild giant pandas, for example, has increased to 1,864, up from 1,114 in the 1970s and 1980s, it said.