CBCGDF

From March 22 to 23, 2025, the 20th International Conference on Genomics (ICG-20 Wuhan) was held on the banks of the Yangtze River in Wuhan. At this prestigious gathering of leading global genomics experts, Dr. Sara Platto—Secretary-General of the Biodiversity and Science Ethics Committee (BASE) of the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF), professor at Jianghan University, and recipient of the Chinese Government Friendship Award—was invited to deliver a keynote speech titled “ Integrating AI with the Five Domains Model: A Vision for Yangtze Finless Porpoise Conservation. ”   Building on her focus on protecting the endangered Yangtze finless porpoise, Dr. Platto proposed an innovative approach that combines artificial intelligence (AI) with the Five Domains Model (FDM), opening new pathways for assessing and safeguarding the welfare of this species. The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis), a flagship species of ...

In mid-March 2025, Shanghai launched a pioneering initiative to curb walking smoke at eight major tourist hotspots, including the Bund, Nanjing Road, and Xintiandi. The campaign aims to reduce public exposure to secondhand smoke and promote healthier urban environments.   What Is "Walking Smoke"? "Walking smoke" refers to secondhand smoke produced when individuals smoke while walking, posing health risks to bystanders and polluting public spaces. Unlike indoor smoking, outdoor enforcement remains challenging, making public awareness and policy interventions critical.   Public Concerns and Progress A 2024 survey of 10,000 respondents revealed that nearly 60% frequently encountered "walking smoke," with 90% strongly opposing the practice. While Shanghai has made strides—reducing its smoking rate from 27% in 2010 to 19.2% today—secondhand smoke exposure remains a persistent issue in public areas.   To combat this, Shanghai is expanding smoke-free zones throug...

  World Health Day, celebrated on 7 April 2025, will kick off a year-long campaign on maternal and newborn health. The campaign, titled Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures, will urge governments and the health community to ramp up efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and to prioritize women ’ s longer-term health and well-being.   Helping every woman and baby survive and thrive This task is critical. Tragically, based on currently published estimates, close to 300 000 women lose their life due to pregnancy or childbirth each year, while over 2 million babies die in their first month of life and around 2 million more are stillborn. That ’ s roughly 1 preventable death every 7 seconds.   Based on current trends, a staggering 4 out of 5 countries are off track to meet targets for improving maternal survival by 2030. 1 in 3 will fail to meet targets for reducing newborn deaths.   Listening to women and supporting families Women and families everywhere ...

  In March 2025, the Deputy Secretary-General and Head of the International Department of the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) wrote a recommendation letter for an outstanding volunteer intern to support her application for further studies abroad, based on her contributions during her internship. The letter successfully helped her gain admission to a prestigious American university. The CBCGDF International Department has long welcomed interns and volunteers, providing them with a platform for learning, communication ,  and growth.   Li Xiang is currently a sophomore majoring in Diplomacy-International Politics at Tianjin Foreign Studies University’s School of International Relations. As an intern at CBCGDF’s International Department since November 2024, she participated in the “International Exchange of Experience of Young Teachers for Green Schools” at COP29   in   Baku, Azerbaijan  and delivered a keynote speech o...

  On March 26, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued the "Work Plan for the National Carbon Emission Trading Market to Cover the Steel, Cement and Aluminum Smelting Industries", which marked the first time that the national carbon emission trading market's work to expand its industry coverage has officially entered the implementation stage.   In July 2021, China launched the national carbon emissions trading market with the power generation industry as a breakthrough point. At present, the national carbon emissions trading market only covers key emission units in the power generation industry. This expansion includes the steel, cement, and aluminum smelting industries. These three industries are major carbon emitters, accounting for more than 20% of the country's total carbon dioxide emissions. After this expansion, it will cover more than 60% of the country's carbon dioxide emissions, and the types of greenhouse gases covered will be expanded to three ca...

  The spring breeze is warm and the swallows are returning. On March 17, volunteers from the CBCGDF Sand Martin Conservation Area made a special trip to Sand Martin Island in the Zhengding (County) section of the Hutuo River in Shijiazhuang City to repair the cliffs where Sand Martin live and the surrounding environment.   "Usually they come back here in April every year to build nests and settle down. Now we can see a small number of Sand Martins in Shijiazhuang area, but the main group has not yet arrived," said Mr. Xing Shijie, director of the Sand Martin Conservation Area. It is precisely because the season has arrived that everyone took the time to come to Sand Martin Island here to tidy up the nesting area.   On that day, volunteers from the reserve and staff from the Hutuo River Operation and Maintenance Center conducted a comprehensive inspection of the fences surrounding Sand Martin Island. On the shore of the island, they found a fence that had been taken away b...

Recently, China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation(CBCGDF) established its first overseas Low-Carbon Workshop, namely, the Green Farm of NISSII Christain Academy Low Carbon Workshop (No. LCW-029). This low-carbon workshop will leverage the existing farm foundation of the college and integrate the low-carbon technology experiences of China and Kenya to create an international cooperation demonstration point that integrates ecological education, green agriculture and cultural tourism integration. Low Carbon Workshop   (LCW), innovatively proposed by the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation, is an honorary title awarded to individuals, sites, institutions, or other entities that actively practice ecological civilization principles, adhere to green development concepts, implement low-carbon emission reduction measures, and are committed to achieving carbon neutrality. The initiative aims to identify and promote practical, exemplary lo...