The second stage of the 15th United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP15) kicks off in Montreal on December 7. Governments from around the world will come together to agree on a new set of goals and targets that will guide global action on nature until 2030.

What can the world community expect from this conference? What is China's role as Chair of COP15? A correspondent of China Daily spoke to the Minister of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China, Huang Rongqiu.

According to the minister, about half of the world's GDP is somehow connected with biodiversity. More than 3 billion people depend for their livelihoods on marine and coastal biodiversity, and more than 1.6 billion people depend on forests and non-wood forest products.

In addition, biodiversity plays an important role in maintaining the natural ecological balance, for example, by creating water sources, preserving water and soil, preventing or mitigating natural disasters, ensuring food security and protecting human health.

Speaking at the leaders ' summit of the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2021, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the need to strengthen international cooperation, join forces to promote the protection of biodiversity and the harmonious coexistence of man and nature.

According to the Minister, China has made the protection of biodiversity a national development strategy of the country, having developed a number of relevant laws and regulations, including the conservation of biodiversity in development plans.

China has also created a system of specially protected natural areas with a focus on national parks. To date, the country has built the first five national parks, almost 200 botanical gardens and 250 centers for the rehabilitation and breeding of wild animals. China has stepped up the conservation and restoration of natural ecological spaces. For example, China has taken the initiative to draw red lines across the country in the field of environmental protection, which is an innovation on a global scale. The red lines cover areas that are environmentally sensitive.

The main objective of the second phase of COP15 is to put global biodiversity on the path to recovery by 2030, that is, to put an end to the current situation of biodiversity loss.

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Photo: China daily, Xinhua