Chengdu to host third national park forum on Aug 18-19

Joining hands with the Sichuan provincial government, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration will hold the Third National Park Forum in Chengdu, the province's capital, from Aug 18 to Aug 19.

Sun Hongyan, deputy director of the administration's nature reserve department, disclosed the information at a news conference held in Beijing on Thursday.

With an aim of promoting high-level protection and high-quality development of national parks, 200 delegates from home and abroad will delve into deep discussions regarding the significant issues and pivotal developmental paths of national parks throughout the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) period, she said.

This forum will include an opening ceremony, a main forum, three subforums, and a thematic achievement exhibition, she revealed.

Centered around the most recent accomplishments China has made in national park development, she said the main forum will feature distinguished experts and scholars from around the world delivering keynote addresses, offering profound perspectives on significant national park issues, and presenting strategic recommendations in this regard.

The thematic achievement exhibition will comprehensively showcase China's achievements in ecological conservation, scientific research, monitoring, nature education, and community development, she added.

Chen Zongqian, deputy director of the Sichuan Provincial Forestry and Grassland Administration, stated that Sichuan authorities are committed to implementing a range of eco-friendly and low-carbon initiatives to position the forum as a new national model for sustainable events.

A pioneering system highlighting the process of carbon neutrality calculation will be introduced to aid the forum in meticulously evaluating carbon emissions in every facet, spanning transportation, lodging, dining and material consumption, he said.

Any emissions generated during the forum will be offset through the procurement of carbon credits, Chen added.

He said the forum will choose to consume environmentally friendly materials as much as possible, including ecological products from the Giant Panda National Park.

"The nameplates will be crafted from bamboo, while the badges will be fashioned from biodegradable bamboo fiber," he said. "By substituting plastic with bamboo, the forum will markedly diminish its plastic consumption."

The previous two national park forums were held in 2019 and 2023.

A national park system was first proposed in the third plenary session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee in 2013. The country then launched 10 pilot national parks in 2015, and officially designated five of them national parks in October 2021.

In December 2022, it set out a plan that envisages the creation of the world's largest national park system by 2035.

houliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn