COP15: China’s Xi Jinping pledges US$232m for new fund to protect world biodiversity

Name: China pledges US$232m to world biodiversity conservation at COP15 conference in Kunming
Uploaded: 2021-10-12T07:17:53.000Z
Duration: 2 min 40 s
Description: China pledges US$232m to world biodiversity conservation at COP15 conference in Kunming

The Kunming Biodiversity Fund will help developing nations better protect their ecology, President Xi tells UN conference

Xi also pledged to accelerate solar power development in China, with scale of projects set to surpass India’s entire renewable energy portfolio

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Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks via video link at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Kunming in China’s southwestern Yunnan province, on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

Jun Maiin Kunming andEcho Xiein Kunming

Published: 3:17pm, 12 Oct 2021Updated: 9:55pm, 13 Oct 2021

China will donate 1.5 billion yuan (US$232.5 million) to set up a new fund to help developing countries protect the variety of plant and animal life in the world, President Xi Jinping has pledged at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15).

“China will take the lead and contribute 1.5 billion yuan to set up the Kunming Biodiversity Fund to support biodiversity development of developing countries,” Xi told the conference via video link on Tuesday. “China calls for and welcomes all parties to contribute and support strengthening protection of biodiversity.”

Xi also pledged to accelerate the development of wind and solar power in China.

“[We will] step up our efforts in the development of renewable energy, and accelerate the planning of large-scale photovoltaic and wind power projects in [our] deserts and nearby areas,” he said. “Construction for phase one of these projects, with a combined installed capacity of 100 million kilowatts, has begun.”

Xi did not give details of the solar projects, which are bigger in scale than India’s entire renewable energy portfolio.

02:40

China pledges US$232m to world biodiversity conservation at COP15 conference in Kunming

Xi delivered his remarks at the Leaders’ Summit of the COP15 conference, hosted by China’s southwestern city of Kunming. The conference this year is expected to adopt a joint declaration from the high-level segment of the UN Biodiversity Conference 2020 (Part 1).

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