China Green Carbon Foundation

Speech by ZHANG Jianlong

Vice Minister, State Forestry Administration

It gives me great pleasure today to attend the plaque unveiling ceremony of “Chinese Academy of Carbon Sequestration”.  In 2008, I was here at this site when Wenzhou City initiated the forest carbon special fund. This time I feel extraordinary amicable. With the support of the City Party Committee and the Government as well as the participation from all circles of life of the City, Wenzhou Forest Carbon Foundation has achieved great performance and become the banner of the nation in forest carbon endeavor.  

In order to study and explore the best practice in forest carbon sequestration from Wenzhou City and others, it is decided by the Party Leading Group of the State Forestry Administration to establish the “Chinese Academy of Carbon Sequeatration” affiliated to China Green Carbon Foundation. This is a big event in China’s forest carbon sink research and it is an honor to city of Wenzhou. On this occasion, I would like to extend warm congratulation on behalf of the State Forestry Administration to the unveiling of the plaque of “Chinese Academy of Carbon Sequestration” in Wenzhou.  At the same time, I would like to express sincere thanks to Wenzhou City Party Committee, City Government for their strong support and care to forest carbon sink endeavor in the country.

It is known to us all that globally the climate is changing characterized by warming. The global warming gravely affects humanity’s production and living conditions. The international community has been vigorously taking measures to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emission in addressing global warming. China is a large developing country with fast economic growth and is facing tremendous pressure in reducing greenhouse gas emission. To increase forest carbon sequestration by planting more trees will best conforms to China’s conditions and realities and will be an important measure to effectively addressing the climate change.  As everybody knows, at the 2007 APEC summit, President HU Jintao solemnly announced the commitment that China’s forest coverage will be increased by 40 million hectares and the forest stock volume will be expanded by 1.3 billion cubic meters by 2020 on the 2005 level. To fulfill President HU’s solemn commitment, China has accelerated the tree planting and greening pace as well as the forest management. Every year, we must complete tens of million mu of afforestation task to guarantee the realization of 40 million hectares of forest coverage increase by the year 2020. Although the Chinese government has given high priority to afforestation and forest tending to increase forest stock volume, still do it solely by the Government’s input is not financial enough. In forest carbon sequestration, we need the broad participation of the whole society. To facilitate this, China Green Carbon Foundation (CGCF) was set up in August last year. It aims at providing an integrated quadruple-goals-as-one platform, namely “store carbon credit, shoulder social responsibility, raise farmers’ income and improve ecological environment”, for the enterprises and companies in addition to public and individuals in supporting the mission of afforestation. CGCF has achieved great successes under the leadership of the Chairman of the Board, Mr. LIU Yuhe, who used to vice minister of Forestry Ministry. By now, RMB￥400 million has been raised from the all walk of life and over 120,000 mu of land have been afforested with forest carbon sequestration trees. Six special forest carbon sequestration fund have been established in Shanxi , Zhejiang Provinces as well as in Beijing municipality and other cities and regions. Of which Wenzhou City green carbon fund alone has raised nearly one hundred million yuan and afforested over 50,000 mu of land. Furthermore, activities such “Carbon neutral wholesale market”, “Low carbon residential complex” and “voluntary tree planting by buying forest carbon credit” have been developed. Wenzhou City has compiled the first “Technical Regulations for carbon sequestration forest management” which received good comments and reputation from the home and abroad. Broadly speaking, Wenzhou City has made active contributions to China’s forest carbon sequestration development.

After its settle-down in Wenzhou City, it is hoped, with the support from all walk of life, that the Institute will innovates new mechanism and recruits competent professions to bring the talent of the talents from Wenzhou Vocational & Technical College into full play. The work of the Institute should closely concentrate on four functions, namely, Building-up and turning itself into a national level Chinese Academy of Carbon Sequestration; Growing itself into a national level forest carbon sequestration talents training center; Acting as an international cooperation and exchange center in forest carbon sequestration And becoming the trial and demonstration base for low carbon development. Research priority should be given to the focal points in forest carbon sink and the forest role in combating climate change. Meanwhile, painstaking efforts should be made to build itself into the national first class forestry carbon research institute and up to the international standards by fostering management personnel from forestry sector who will work on addressing climate change, by formulating technical criteria as well as carbon accounting， monitoring and verification with addition of  policies and regulations relating to carbon transaction. In general, the Institute is required to provide scientific evaluation and appraisal for National forestry strategic policy decision-making in combating climate change so as to make contributions to China’s forest carbon sink development and national ecosystem security and in combating the climate change.