Maximum Welfare+Minimum Destruction: A Chinese Solution to the Conflict between Infrastructure Projects and Biodiversity Conservation

Introduction

The "Kunmeng Framework" adopted at the 15th United Nations Conference on Biological Diversity last year provided guidance for global biodiversity conservation efforts. China has shown a firm commitment in investing in green infrastructure. Through careful design and strict implementation, China's overseas infrastructure projects can avoid important biodiversity conservation areas, allowing people to move away from the natural hinterland and towards areas with high potential for agriculture, industry, and urbanization. China will support the global biodiversity agenda by changing its investment model, while promoting economic development and reducing the pressure on natural ecosystems.

People generally believe that infrastructure construction projects are not conducive to biodiversity conservation, especially in tropical developing countries. However, through careful design and implementation, as well as strict protection policies, infrastructure projects can not only bring development benefits to local communities, but also contribute to the protection of biodiversity by concentrating development projects in appropriate locations, keeping people away from areas with high biodiversity value.

China has made significant infrastructure investments overseas, which has had an impact on some global biodiversity hotspots in developing countries. These investments have had and will continue to have a significant impact on the global biodiversity agenda, but the key issue is how to reduce negative impacts and stimulate positive effects.

For example, in the recent construction of Kenya's standard gauge railway project, the construction party has taken measures to ensure the free movement of wildlife, in order to reduce the potential negative impact of railway construction on biodiversity. But many infrastructure projects are still damaging biodiversity. China is currently working hard to promote investment in green infrastructure, which will make a significant contribution to the global biodiversity agenda.

The Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in December 2022, will guide global biodiversity conservation efforts until 2030. The framework has set a total of 23 action goals, among which Goal 3, also known as the "30X30" goal, requires the protection of 30% of the Earth's land and oceans by 2030. This ambitious goal aims to expand the protected area and adopt more effective regional protection measures to cover 30% of the Earth's surface. This goal has sparked extensive discussions among stakeholders. They observed the phenomenon of inadequate natural conservation and the fact that many indigenous people in existing protected areas are suffering from social injustice. Solving these issues may be more important than simply increasing the area of protected areas.

The protection of protected areas also depends on Goal 19, which is to raise at least $200 billion annually for protected areas by 2030. Funding was a key issue during COP15, as the lack of funding was the main reason for the failure to achieve the Aichi goal of guiding global biodiversity conservation from 2010 to 2020.

China's infrastructure investment clearly needs to avoid important biodiversity conservation areas and should not endanger existing protected areas. These investments will promote the establishment of new protected areas, but more importantly, they will lead new development models, moving people away from the natural hinterland and towards areas with greater agricultural, industrial, and urbanization potential. These investments may encourage population to gather in areas with better infrastructure, attract people to stay away from the natural hinterland, and reduce pressure on the ecosystem.

The ecological protection red line can provide guidance for the construction of these infrastructure projects, clarify the key ecosystem service functions in different regions, and corresponding measures for biodiversity protection and disaster reduction. In addition, investment must also provide resources to ensure effective protection of these areas.

China's overseas infrastructure investment will contribute to the implementation of the "Kunmeng Framework". China launched the Kunming Biodiversity Fund during COP15, promising to provide $232.47 million to support biodiversity conservation in developing countries. The 7th Global Environment Facility Conference was held in Vancouver, Canada from August 22nd to 26th this year, with the focus on the official launch of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund. In this fund, Canada contributed 200 million Canadian dollars and the UK contributed 10 million pounds. According to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, the funding gap for biodiversity is estimated to be approximately $700 billion per year. Although the contribution of these donations is still insufficient compared to the goal of raising at least $200 billion annually by 2030 in Goal 19 of the Kunmeng Framework, it is still a solid step towards bridging the funding gap for biodiversity.

China has shown a firm commitment to investing in green infrastructure, therefore, banks and enterprises should be encouraged to contribute to global biodiversity financing through the Kunming Biodiversity Fund or the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund. China also has sufficient capability to control risks and ensure that increased funding does not lead to vicious competition and low efficiency.

The potential contribution of China's overseas infrastructure investment to biodiversity conservation has exceeded the requirements for achieving the "30X30" goal. China's investment network also has the ability to promote knowledge sharing, build global partnerships, and widely apply safeguard policies. In addition, China's commitment to investing in green infrastructure may support the global biodiversity agenda by changing its investment model, while meeting human development needs and avoiding encroachment on important natural areas. These infrastructure projects can incorporate biodiversity conservation goals and support biodiversity conservation efforts while investing. Investment is driven by the development priorities of partner countries and is expected to have synergistic effects on various emerging sources of biodiversity conservation funding in tropical developing countries.

The biggest contribution of China's overseas infrastructure investment is to support the implementation of the "Kunmeng Framework" at the national level and ensure that infrastructure projects do not harm biodiversity, maximize human well-being, and minimize harm to nature.