About 80 experts from Chinese energy companies gathered at Shennongjia, central China's Hubei Province on Thursday to advocate for greater efforts in biodiversity conservation during the energy transition process.
The seminar, organized by the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO) and local government, brought together representatives from over a dozen Chinese energy companies, including the State Grid Corporation of China, China Southern Power Grid, China Huaneng Group, China Three Gorges Corporation, China Huadian Corporation, and China Green Development Investment Group, to share success stories in promoting biodiversity conservation.
The biodiversity of the earth is the foundation of human survival. However, the continuous expansion of human activities poses a threat to many species, leading to environmental pollution and habitat destruction, said Liu Zehong, executive vice chairman of the GEIDCO.
"So it is crucial to accelerate the green and low-carbon transformation of energy to reduce the impact of large-scale fossil energy development and utilization on natural ecosystems," Liu added.
Cases shared at the seminar included avoiding ecologically sensitive areas, replacing overhead power lines with underground cables, installing artificial bird nests on transmission towers, creating fish migration channels at hydropower stations, using solar power for desert control, and supplying green energy to ecological research bases.
Many of these cases have been cataloged in the "List of Energy Transition for Biodiversity," issued at a sub-forum of the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in October. The list features examples selected from thousands of companies and organizations across more than 100 countries worldwide.
These measures help minimize habitat destruction, promote environmental restoration, and provide direct protection for biodiversity, showcasing successful approaches to integrating energy transition with ecological conservation, Liu said.
"Climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution are the three major crises facing humankind. These challenges are interlinked and require synergistic solutions," said Zhang Linxiu, director of the UN Environment Programme-International Ecosystem Management Partnership.
By sharing knowledge, achievements and experiences, it is hoped that this seminar will provide more pathways to achieving synergistic governance of energy and the environment, she added.
GEIDCO is the first international organization in the field of energy initiated by China. Headquartered in Beijing, it has been committed to promoting the development of the initiative to meet global power demand with clean and green alternatives.