THE WORLD MUST PAY SIGNIFICANT ATTENTION TO ECOSYSTEM AND ADOPT GREEN TECHNOLOGIES – Marco Lambertini, Director General, WWF

Mr. Marco Lambertini, Director Genral of World Wildlife Fund (WWF), delivered a lecture titled “For a Living Planet: Risk and Resilience in a New Era” on December 9, 2016, at Peking University Public Policy International Forum organised by Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development, Peking University. Prof. FU Jun, Academic Dean of the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development at Peking University moderated the event.

We are living in a time of unprecedented risk, but also one of unparalleled opportunity for the future of our living planet and its inhabitants; we must respond to the growing pressure on natural systems that sustains all life on Earth, and capitalise on the momentum sweeping across the world; WWF is evolving to be even more relevant and have greater influence to achieve our mission; Mr. Marco Lambertini said in his letter to Professor FU Jun.

 

For more than half a century, WWF has been working to protect the world's species and natural places, pushing for a more sustainable world. By working with others local communities, governments, business, other NGO’s ­ WWF is defining new ways of working to ensure that people live in harmony with nature.

 

Mr. Marco Lambertini  extensively shed light on economic, social and ecological state of the world, saying, “economic domain is moving fast, social domain is struggling and ecological domain is suffering”, and suggested that “we must find a way to harmonize all the domains and properly manage the impact of civilization”.

 

In the last 60 years, the world has seen dramatic acceleration of natural resources usage. Continuing, “We have over-fishing, high carbon emission with killing of coral reefs due to the increased temperature of the ocean”, he said.

 

Speaking on the importance of world oceans and its resources, he stated that “the ocean is the powerhouse of food security for the planet”, putting Gross Marine Product (GMP) to about $2.5 trillion a year. However, he pointed out that the ocean and world’s ecosystem is facing unprecedented threat which has resulted in immense melting of ice in Greenland on one hand and a lot of endangered animals on the other hand. According to him, these species are the foundation of the ecosystem and their extinction can lead to the breakdown of ecosystem services.

 

Inspite of the fact that 2016 was on pace to be the hottest year on record, he expressed optimism of a greener and better future because the same year marked highest investments in renewable energy with the adoption of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) agenda which laid a lot of emphasis on affordable and clean energy, climate change, life below water and life on land.

 

At the level of government’s policy making, he called for political will, good governance and commitment while advising decision makers to move very fast on renewable energy usage. He advised locals to manage rivers and develop modern ways of fishing and farming.

 

Prof. FU Jun called for global action against climate change saying “economic growth is not enough but has to be green, equitable, inclusive and sustainable”.

 

Prof. Fu concluded that Peking University Public Policy Forum International has been on for over 10 years with the former President of the United States of America, Mr. Jimmy Carter as its first guest lecturer.

 

Presented at the event were industry practitioners, scholars, students of the newly founded Institute of South South Cooperation and Development (ISSCAD), students from Yenching Academy of Peking University and representatives from Tsinghua University. The students raised a lot of questions and issues regarding wild life protection. 

(By Omole)

 

Thanks to BHP Billiton for its great support to Peking University Public Policy Forum International.