"I have been very inspired by (Chinese) President Xi Jinping's call for an 'ecological civilization' and the need for unity between humans and nature," said United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean Peter Thomson.
by Xinhua writer Wang Jiangang
UNITED NATIONS, June 8 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean Peter Thomson said he is inspired by China's call for ecological civilization and commitment to ocean conservation.
Thomson recalled a memorable story from his experiences with marine ecological management in Xiamen in southeast China's Fujian province in a recent interview with Xinhua.
In 2018, Thomson visited the Xiatanwei Coastal Wetland Park of Xiamen, where planting of mangrove saplings was underway.
"Hailing from a mangrove coast in Fiji, I was impressed by the scale of the planting and the plans for integrating the park with Xiamen's ecotourism," he said.
Thomson was thrilled when he returned to Xiamen in 2023 to see the park in its "full and flourishing form."
The establishment of the park "sets an example of how cities can make peace with nature," he said.
As a UN official dedicated to the protection of the blue water, Thomson said his daily mantra is that "we cannot have a healthy planet without a healthy ocean, and the health of the ocean is currently measurably in decline."
"I have been very inspired by (Chinese) President Xi Jinping's call for an 'ecological civilization' and the need for unity between humans and nature," Thomson said.
Thomson recalled his meeting in Geneva with Xi on Jan. 18, 2017 when he was president of the 71st session of the UN General Assembly.
He shared the photo he took with Xi and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, saying that "At that time, I was serving my 2016-17 term as president of the General Assembly. All three of us addressed the assembled UN member states in Geneva on this occasion."
Xi delivered a keynote speech entitled "Work Together to Build a Community of Shared Future for Mankind," calling for global efforts to maintain harmony between man and nature and pursue sustainable development.
"Man coexists with nature, which means that any harm to nature will eventually come back to haunt man," Xi said in Geneva.
"Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG14), with its call for us to conserve and sustainably use the ocean's resources, is our best tool to stop and reverse the decline in the ocean's health," said Thomson.
The special envoy stressed that waterfront cities and coastal communities "have a major role to play in the faithful implementation of SDG14."
"It is very rewarding for me to observe Xiamen working hard to fulfill its coastal responsibilities in a nature-positive way," the envoy said.
Thomson praised Chinese ecological projects like Saihanba in northern Hebei Province and Green Rural Revival Program of Zhejiang, both laureates of the UN's Champions of the Earth Award.
Regarding the progress of China's ecological civilization in recent years, Thomson noted that "to arrive at good places, we need to follow reliable pathways."
In the days of climate change and biodiversity loss, he said, "We must follow pathways that swiftly guide us towards achieving the ecological civilization we all now desire for our children and grandchildren," adding that lucid waters and lush mountains are "invaluable assets," as are vibrant coral reefs and pristine shorelines.
"They are eminently achievable destinations that can be reached within our lifetimes. They exist in a world in which humans and nature coexist in harmony," said the envoy.
"To get there we must follow the path of renewable energy and circular economies, turning quickly away from our current path of linear exploitation and the burning fossil fuels for our energy," he added.■
