China envoy calls for intl cooperation on ecology

China's envoy to the United Nations called for deeper international cooperation on ecological protection and sustainable development on Monday, emphasizing China's national strategy as a case study for integrated sustainable development.

The "China's Two-Mountains Theory for Advancing Sustainable Development" event was held as part of the 2025 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. It was co-organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the Permanent Mission of China to the UN.

Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN, highlighted the country's efforts to implement sustainable development goals through policies that link environmental protection with economic development.

"We must uphold the vision of ecological civilization," said Fu. "We must always put people's well-being front and center. We should pursue win-win results in environmental protection, economic development, job creation, poverty alleviation and other endeavors, and build a homeland of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature."

Environmental restoration

Fu noted that China has invested heavily in renewable energy and environmental restoration, citing domestic reductions in energy intensity and improvements in air quality. According to Fu, China is a major supplier of solar and wind technology globally — which has helped expand clean energy access in developing countries.

The UN's Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025 was released on Monday. According to the report, only 35 percent of the targets are on track to be met, nearly half are progressing too slowly and 18 percent have regressed to levels below those in 2015.

"We are in a global development emergency — an emergency measured in the over 800 million people still living in extreme poverty, in intensifying climate impacts and in relentless debt service, draining the resources that countries need to invest in their people," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the launch of the report on Monday.

Li Junhua, UN under-secretary-general for economic and social affairs, attended the report launch and also spoke at the event. "In this critical moment, China's strategic approach to development offers a powerful blueprint for aligning the national strategy with local action and scientific innovation," Li said.

He pointed to Huzhou in East China's Zhejiang province as a local example of ecological restoration combined with geospatial planning.