China's status quo in biodiversity conservation policy, finance, innovation, and challenges

China's commitment to biodiversity development is gaining international recognition, particularly through its hosting of the 2021 COP15 summit and its involvement in the Post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

Policy on biodiversity

To support the implementation of the strategic targets, China National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (2023-2030) (National Strategy and Action Plan hereafter) outlines 27 priority actions and 75 priority projects across four priority areas: biodiversity mainstreaming, addressing threats of biodiversity loss, sustainable use and benefit-sharing, and modernization of biodiversity governance capabilities. By 2030, the relevant policies, systems, standards, and monitoring frameworks related to biodiversity conservation will be established in China. Ongoing background investigation and assessments of priority areas and strategic regions for biodiversity conservation will continue, and a national biodiversity monitoring network will be developed. The plan aims to restore at least 30% of degraded ecosystems in terrestrial, inland water, coastal, and marine areas by 2030. Additionally, it stipulates that a minimum of 30% of land should be designated for ecological protection, while at least 150,000 square kilometers should be allocated for marine ecological protection.

Biodiversity finance

In recent decades, China has received significant foreign investment for biodiversity protection initiatives. For instance, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) was the first international conservation organization invited to work in China since 1980. Today, WWF China is involved in over 40 projects, ranging from the restoration of the Yangtze River wetlands to environmental education and panda conservation.

In the National Strategy and Action Plan, China aims to include biodiversity protection in the "Green Bond Support Project Catalog" to mobilize additional social funding to support biodiversity conservation. Market-based mechanisms such as biodiversity credits, blue carbon credits, and green bonds have been expanded, creating new opportunities for private sector involvement in conservation efforts. Since 2016, China's total environmental protection funding has reached 2.523 billion yuan (USD354 million), with 1.757 billion yuan (USD246 million) specifically allocated to biodiversity, accounting for 69% of the total. From 2016 to 2020, public funding for biodiversity conservation experienced rapid growth, with annual increases of 21%, 35%, 43%, and 29%, respectively. In 2020, China established the National Green Development Fund, with an initial fundraising scale of 88.5 billion yuan (USD12.4 billion), to create a government-led green financial responsibility system that encourages greater investment from social capital in green industries.

Innovation and new technologies related to biodiversity

The National Strategy and Action Plan proposes to leverage existing ecological space-related supervision platforms and ecological environment big data platforms to integrate and utilize various biological species and germplasm resource databases at all levels. It aims to apply new-generation information technologies, including remote sensing, the Internet of Things, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence, to achieve comprehensive management of biodiversity conservation information systems. This includes integrated display and in-depth data mining, as well as the development of functional modules for dynamic monitoring, trend analysis, impact assessment, and prediction and early warning. The Plan emphasizes using scientific and technological innovation to enhance the overall level of biodiversity supervision and governance.

During COP16, the Intelligent Network Interconnection Laboratory, an international scientific and technological cooperation platform led by China and Colombia, was showcased. This laboratory has conducted research in the field of digital twins, with application scenarios that include ecosystems such as coral reefs and mangroves. Luo Xun, the Chinese director of the Connected Universal Experiences Labs, believes that with the support of artificial intelligence, digital twins, and other technologies, diverse cooperation will create more opportunities for environmental conservation.

Future development trends and challenges

Although China has made progress in biodiversity conservation, it still faces significant and long-term challenges. The trend of biodiversity loss has not yet been reversed, and global biodiversity continues to confront multiple threats. Moving forward, China aims to continue promoting the mainstreaming of biodiversity, comprehensively enhance biodiversity protection and management, strengthen the strategic importance of biodiversity conservation, and integrate the concept of biodiversity protection into every aspect of ecological civilization construction.