联合国环境规划署执行主任会见中国环保NGO代表团

    当地时间6月18日下午，联合国副秘书长、联合国环境规划署执行主任阿希姆·施泰纳（Achim Steiner）在里约内陆热内卢参加活动过程中会见了中国环保NGO代表团一行。中国环保NGO代表团团长、中华环境保护基金会秘书长李伟感谢联合国环境规划署一直以来对中国环保民间团体的支持，并简单介绍了此次环保NGO代表团参加联合国可持续发展大会(“里约＋20”峰会)的情况。施泰纳先生对此表示肯定，并希望今后将与中国环保NGO组织进一步加强联系,使NGO在推动可持续发展过程中发挥更积极的作用。

在抵达里约的两天里,中国环保NGO代表团已经参加了两场边会.中华环境保护基金会秘书长李伟在联合国环境署主办的“城市与可持续发展——地方政府与商界为实现可持续发展做出的贡献——聚焦中国”边会上发表演讲，从NGO的角色定位、作用、行动及期望等方面，结合中国国情，阐述了对绿色经济的理解及社会各界在推进可持续发展进程中的定位及作用，并对“里约＋20”峰会提出期待：第一，可持续发展必须兼顾经济发展、社会进步、环境保护的平衡统筹。现实中不同国家处于不同的发展阶段和发展水平，应尊重各国可持续发展的自主权，坚持“共同但有区别的责任”原则，特别是针对发展中国家所面临的困难和问题，发达国家应采取有力措施切实帮助发展中国家，实现可持续发展。第二，联合国环境署在推进可持续发展进程中发挥了积极作用。希望联合国环境署继续创造条件，提供平台，让NGO组织有更多的互相交流的机会，互相借鉴，吸取成功的经验，在推进可持续发展进程中发挥更有价值的作用。中华环保联合会副秘书长冯晓星在“公正观念——探寻地球可持续发展的解决途径”论坛上发表演讲，以中华环保联合会为例，向各国代表展示了中国环保民间组织的工作内容及工作模式，指出环保民间组织作为第三方力量，要联合各方，通过与政府建立沟通交流机制影响政策转变，通过咨询服务和监督引导企业走低碳环保之路，履行企业环境社会责任，通过联合媒体、提升公众参与环境保护的意识，转变消费观念，践行绿色消费，使公众真正成为绿色经济发展的参与者和推动者。

中国环保NGO代表团由环境保护部宣传教育司组织，中华环保联合会、中华环境保护基金会及媒体和企业代表组成，6月16日抵达里约后除参加上述活动外，在接下来的几天里, 还将参加联合国开发计划署、中国国际民间组织合作交流促进会举办的边会及展览展示等多项活动。

Boost the Role of Environment NGOs

Improve Public Participation&Promote Sustainable Development

FengXiaoxing   Deputy Secretary General of All-China Environment Federation

(Brazil 17 June,2012)

Distinguished guests, friends, ladies and gentlemen:

Good afternoon!

It’s a great honor for me to attend“Justice----Explore Solutions to Sustainable Development of Earth” Forum hosted by International Institute for Environment and Development(IIED) on behalf of All-China Environment Federation(ACEF)and exam issues concerning sustainable development with experts and scholars from all around the world.Now I would like to brief you on the development of China’s environment NGOs. But before that, I would like to express my gratitude to IIED,the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis at theUniversity of California, World Resources Institute, and Foundation for Democracy and Sustainable Development for their preparation for this forum.

The environment NGOsin China began to develop since early 1990s. Over the past 20 years, more than 4,000 organizations came into existence. Guided by China’s strategy of sustainable development and building up an environment-friendly and energy-efficient society, they have made positive efforts on exploring new solutions to address various and complicated environmental issues around China such as energy conservation, emission reduction, global climate change mitigation, biodiversity protection, desertification control and wetland conservation. In China, such environment NGOshelp raise public awareness on environmental protection, guide the enterprises to take environmental and social responsibilities, and advance the development of a legal system on environment protection in China and national sustainable development through various promotional events.

ACEF, as one of the key Environmental NGOs, has enrolled about 20,000 members from all walks of life since its establishment in 2005. With the philosophyof “Greater China, Greater Environment, GreaterUnion” and the commitment to environment protection, it has developed into one of the most influential NGOs on environmentprotection in China. Now, I would like to showcase to you the work that China’s Environmental NGOs have done and their work model while taking ACEF as an example.

First, raise public awareness onenvironmental protectionwith publicity and educational activities. Since its establishment, ACEF has carried out more than a hundred events for public interests, such as green family, charity concert on environmental protection, householdenergy conservation and waste classification, ecological tourism, Yellow River protection and technical consultation on environmental protection. With the participation of hundreds of enterprises and media and millions of people, the concept of environmental protection wasintroducedinto every household.

Second, safeguard the rights on environment and protect the environmental rights and interests of vulnerable groups. Under the guidance of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Legal Service Center of ACEF carried out various activities to safeguard people’s environmental rights and interests. Over the past six years since its establishment, it has processed 564 cases concerning environmental pollution, among which 301 have been handled properly or settled. Among the six lawsuits we filed as the plaintiff in the capacity of environmental protection organization, we won 2 of them, providing practical reference for establishing China’s lawsuit system for environment and public interest. In addition, we provided legal aid to 50 environmental cases, saving a direct economic loss of over 30 million RMB. Meanwhile, we gave into full playthe power of media in publicity and supervision. Together with CCTV, we reported the pollution caused by an industrial park in Zhetang Town, Lishui County, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, and finally addressed the pollution there which lasted for 35 years.

Third, give into full play the role of government and society as a bridge and build up a platform for public participation. From 2006 to 2011, in collaboration with otherEnvironmental NGOs, we have held the “Annual Meeting of China’s Environmental NGOs on Sustainable Development” for six times in a row, where representatives from thousands of organizations discussed problems concerning sector development and action strategies. In 2006 and 2008, we published Development Situation Report on China’s Civil Environmental Organizations respectively, and actively guidedEnvironmental NGOs to develop in a sustainable way.

Fourth, offer recommendations for government to facilitate its decision making. Environment and Development Forum is a high-end forum on environmental strategieshosted by the Ministry of Environmental Protection of PRC and organized by ACEF. It has been held for seven times from 2005 to 2011 with participants from all walks of life home and abroad which submitted sixty-four constructive proposals and suggestions to the Chinese government and published seven conference proceedings.

Fifth, guide enterprises to adopt low carbon development path. On one hand, we helped enterprises transform their mode of production and reduce pollution emission by providing services on environment impact assessment, company's IPO and technical consultancy on environmental protection verification for refinanced listed companies.On the other, we introduced new environment-friendly technologies, new techniques and equipments for energy conservation and emission reduction to the society and advocate green consumption among the public.

Sixth, broaden channels for international exchange and promote people-to-people communication and cooperation. ACEF has obtained consultative status from UN ECOSOC and UNEP, and is now a member of International Union for the Conservation of Nature(IUCN) and one of the initiators of World Low Environmental Federation (WLEF). In terms of international cooperation, we got support from UN Democracy Fund,UNDP Global Fund Small Grant Program the Bloomberg foundation on the programs of promoting the protection of environmental rights and interests and the legal rights of pollution victims, demonstration project ofHousehold Energy Saving and Emission Reduction in Wangjing, and Tobacco Control Program. Up till now we have had 15 international visits includingthe US, Singapore and Denmark.ACEF President Song Jianhas led the delegation to attend many important international conferences such as Paris Global Conference on Ecosystem Management and Global Civil Society Forum and received visits of delegations from 18 countries.

These are the specific work that ACEF has done. As a member of China’s Environmental NGOs, I personally believe that as a third party, China’s environment NGOs should ally with all quarters of societyin various forms, such as offering suggestions to the governments by establishing communication mechanism, guiding enterprises on the path of low carbon development by offering consultation and practicing supervision, working with the media to launch public interestprograms about environmental protection and raise public awareness and passion, so as to safeguard the interests of the public and promote sustainable development and progress in China and around the world.

Thank you!