Chinese CSOs Actively Participate in COP27 Events

From 6 to 20 November, the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the UNFCCC was held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, attracting more than 40,000 attendees from nearly 200 countries.Over 100 representatives of nearly 40 civil society organisations (CSO) and institutions including China NGO Network for International Exchanges (CNIE),China Association for NGO Cooperation (CANGO), All-China Environment Federation (ACEF), China Green Carbon Foundation (CGCF), Global Environmental Institute (GEI), Shan Shui Conservation Centre, the Vanke Foundation and World Historic and Cultural Canal Cities Cooperation Organisation (WCCO)attended the Conference in Egypt. Through holding COP27 side events, China Pavilion side events and special events and releasing documents and initiatives, Chinese representatives widely introduced the essence of the 20th National Congress of the CPC and Xi Jinping’s Thought on Ecological Civilisation,making Chinese CSOs’ contribution to the building of a fair, reasonable, cooperative and win-win global climate governance system.

Prior Preparation

From 31 October to 1 November, CNIE and CANGO held the Workshop for Building NGOs’ Capacity of Participating in Global Climate Governance/Meeting before departure. Experts, scholars and representatives of CSOs and international NGOs were invited to share their views of policies and experience about global climate governance and have exchanges about and discussions on matters relevant to attending COP27. About 50 representatives of over 30 CSOs in the field of climate governance and located in Beijing participated in the workshop.Before the workshop, the Greenovation: Hub, under the guidance of CNIE and with the sponsorship of the Vanke Foundation, held series trainings for promoting Chinese CSOs’ common participation in global ecological and environmental governance in June,August and October respectively.

Holding Side Events

On 9, 10 and 13 November, Innovation Centre for Energy and Transportation (iCET) held COP27 side events with the themes of “2022 China Energy Outlook Presentation” “U.S.-China Collaboration on Decarbonisation Solutions” and “U.S.-China Climate Collaboration”, which focused on the decarbonisation of industries and explored the civil society channels to promote China-U.S. climate cooperation.

On 10 November, the Greenovation: Hub and its U.S.cooperative partners co-hosted a COP27 side event on “Promoting Mechanisms of Climate Investment and Financing and Debt Relief Towards Supporting Low-carbon and Environment-friendly Development”.Representatives of UN institutions, multilateral development finance institutions and U.S. universities attended the event and had discussions on the topic.On 11 November, CANGO and its domestic and international partners co-hosted a COP27 side event themed “CSOs Support Developing Countries in Tackling Climate Change: Policy and Investment and Financing”. Representatives of governments of China,Angola, Bengladesh and India and of CSOs of many countries participated in the event and discussed upon the opportunites and chanllenges in South-South cooperation.

On 11 November, ACEF and China Internet Development Foundation (CIDF) co-hosted a China Pavilion side event themed “Digital Carbon Neutrality and Consumption-end Emission Reduction”, briefing on China’s policies and actions in tackling climate change, displaying Chinese wisdom and telling China’s stories about ecological civilisation to the international community.

On 14 November, CNIE, WCCO, the Vanke Foundation and China Champions for Climate Action (C Team)jointly held the China Pavilion side event the “World Canal Day”, displaying the achievements of the 2022 Global Canal Rowing Action 100+ Cities and championing the philosophy of green, low-carbon,sports and health.

Starting from 14 November, GEI held a COP27 side event themed “Energy Accessability and Societyoriented Climate Adaptation” and a China Pavilion side event “Prospect of China-Amazon Regional Cooperation: Sustainable International Supply Chain”,advocating the international action on climate change and coordinated development between tackling climate change and biodiversity protection.On 15 November, the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organisation(GEIDCO) hosted a Seminar on Global Energy Interconnection Pathway to Carbon Neutrality, calling for acclerating green transition of energy, promoting carbon peak and neutrality and jointly breaking new grounds for global climate governance.

On 15 November, the Research Institute for Ecocivilisation (RIECo) of China Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) held a COP27 side event on “Climate Actions Promoting Cities towards Achieving SDGs”,briefing on Chinese cities’ policies, actions and experience about tackling climate change and promoting sustainable development.

On 15 November, China Electricity Council (CEC)hosted the China Pavilion side event with the theme of “How China’s Power Industry Responds to the Climate Change: Actions and Outlook”. Attended by representatives of governments, enterprises,research institutes and CSOs from China and other coutries, the event called for global power industries to actively support the United Nations in playing a key role and to make greater contributions to building a beautiful world.

On 17 November, CNIE and CANGO co-hosted a China Pavilion side event on “NGOs Collaborating with Multi-stakeholders: Moving towards Net Zero Carbon Future”. Representatives of CNIE briefed on the essence of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, Xi Jinping’s Thought on Ecological Civilisation,China’s eco-civilisation philosophy and achievements in carbon peak and neutrality and emission reduction.On 17 November, CGCF held a COP27 side event on“Voluntary Contributions and Global Cooperation to Promote Synergies between Climate Change and Biodiversity” and a China Pavilion side event on “NBS and Synergies between Climate Change and Biodiversity Conservation”, proposing to create effective synergies in dealing with biodiversity crisis and climate change crisis.

Organising Special Events

On 10 November, the C Team held a Centre-position Youth Charitable Exhibition in the China Corporate Pavilion, providing solutions of Chinese youth to climate change.

On 13 November, WCCO and Shenzhen Foundation for International Exchange and Cooperation (SFIEC)held the 2022 Global Canal Rowing Action 100+Cities: From Yangzhou China to Cairo Egypt, telling Chinese stories and promoting canal culture to the world.

On 15 and 16 November, CNIE and CANGO cohosted the show on “Harmonious Coexistence of Man & Nature with Chinese Wisdom in Sundial and Gnomon”, bringing climate change education to campus and displaying to the world the ecological wisdom in traditional Chinese culture.

Invited by Taiwan Youth Climate Alliance, China Youth Climate Action Network participated in the shooting of a COP27 climate sci-fi action short play,demonstrating the strength of Chinese youth in climate change action.

Releasing Documents and Initiatives

On 11 November, the Vanke Foundation, the C Team and the Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology (SEE)jointly published the 2022 Enterprise Climate Action Casebook, Global Sustainable Development Business Casebook and Outlook on Climate Security and Zerocarbon Vision of the Yangtze River Economic Belt,displaying the solid exploration of Chinese enterprises on the journey of carbon reduction.

On 12 November, CNIE and CANGO co-hosted a press conference and joinly released the Initiative of Strengthening Capacity on Climate Adaptation and Disaster Resilience in Developing Countries, calling for levelling up extreme weather crisis awareness and capability worldwide and strengthening climate adaptation capacity of climate-vulnarable regions and groups, so as to promote the building of a beautiful homeland where man and nature co-exist in harmony.