Opening Remarks by Ms. Beate Trankmann at the Inception of Phase II UNDP-DR PLANT Biodiversity Project

June 9, 2024

UNDP Resident Representative in China, Beate Trankmann, delivered opening remarks at the Inception of Phase II of the UNDP-DR PLANT Biodiversity Project in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province.

尊敬的丁副局长、(DDG Ding Yunnan Forest &Grassland Bureau)

钟院长、(Mme Zhong, Pres Academy of Forest& Grassland)

解总裁，(President Xie Yong, Dr Plant)

女士们先生们，早上好！

非常高兴代表联合国开发计划署来到美丽的西双版纳参加生物医生一期项目总结会和二期项目启动会！

(On behalf of the United Nations Development Programme, it’s my pleasure to join you this morning in the beautiful city of Xishuangbanna for the Closure of Phase I and Inception of Phase II Workshop of UNDP-DR PLANT Biodiversity Project!)

“Biodiversity is life, biodiversity is our life”. This is why I am delighted to be with you here for the start of a new chapter in our valued partnership with Yunnan Academy of Forestry and Grassland, and DR PLANT.

Yunnan is one of the most biodiversity-rich provinces in China and I have had the pleasure of visiting many times, including for COP 15 Part I, where we signed the Kunming Declaration.[1]

It makes a shared promise: to build “a shared future for all life on earth.” But nearly three years on, the world is far from keeping it. A UN report this year shows nearly half of all migratory animals – who depend on multiple habitats at once – are declining.[2] One third of plant and animal species could even vanish within half a century.[3]

The consequences of biodiversity collapsing are grave. We know ecosystem services underpin everything – from the economy, to our health…… So much so that scientists have recently identified that biodiversity losses are, by far, the greatest driver of infectious diseases today…[4] Making projects like this, even more crucial.

At a time when nature is so much under threat globally, this partnership is a bright spot. I am heartened to see such strong results for conservation and sustainable development from its first phase. According to an independent evaluation, Phase I has produced:
· a Group Standard on collecting indigenous raw plant materials for enterprises sourcing from local biodiversity;
· technical support for environmental AI technology;
· sustainable community pilots in Xishuangbanna, with local minorities, and;
· various public awareness events.

"The consequences of biodiversity collapsing are grave. We know ecosystem services underpin everything – from the economy to our health…… So much so that scientists have recently identified that biodiversity losses are, by far, the greatest driver of infectious diseases today… Making projects like this, even more crucial."

As we move to Phase II, we aim to build on this using innovative approaches and models. This includes mainstreaming international biodiversity conservation standards to help regulate how domestic and international cosmetic companies obtain local biological resources.

We also look forward to expanding our work with ethnic minority villages to three more areas. We hope this will boost community capacities to protect biodiversity and traditional knowledge, enabling more conservation of genetic resources in their original places – which would also increase local incomes and well-being.

Working together, I believe these ambitious goals can be reached.

Because our partnership also helps overcome the most critical conservation challenge for biodiversity protection: lack of finance. The global financing gap for nature is too high! With an estimated 700 billion dollars annually, it can only be filled by more companies stepping forward.

So, I sincerely thank DR PLANT for the renewed generous financing contribution for Phase II and for continuing to set a promising precedent here for other businesses to follow. I also want to express my appreciation to the Yunnan Academy of Forestry and Grassland for sharing their invaluable local knowledge over the past three years.

I look forward to further growing our partnership for biodiversity and the Sustainable Development Goals – to end poverty and protect the planet we all call home.

Your work in this corner of the world will make a difference far beyond it… By helping to set an example, and even standards, for strengthening nature and local livelihoods everywhere.

你们在世界的这个角落所开展的工作产生了深远的影响…… (通过树立榜样，制定标准，开展修复工作和替代生计等，成果远超预期).

我祝愿第二期的项目取得圆满成功。希望大家在美丽的西双版纳过得愉快！非常感谢。

(I wish Phase II every success. And hope you all enjoy being in beautiful Xishuangbanna! Thank you.)

[1] COP15, Kunming Declaration. Available at: https://www.cbd.int/doc/c/c2db/972a/fb32e0a277bf1ccfff742be5/cop-15-05-add1-en.pdf
[2] State of the World’s Migratory Species Report (2024), Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. Available at: https://www.cms.int/en/publication/state-worlds-migratory-species-report
[3] One third of plant and animal species could be gone in 50 years (Feb 12, 2020) Science Daily. Available at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/02/200212150146.htm
[4] A meta analysis on global change drivers and the risk of infectious disease, Nature Journal, 8 May 2024, p. 832.
Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07380-6.epdf?sharing_token=Vx-3yIfgT0FYlLj_INAUddRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0MeMi5ieSwUgJ_3FW8C16mSVT02VUT451M6u5_-COiT8T6_nnVYS3WzEHTZzGOkfKbmM5iDuADuMrpbEmz3g5H3JUl0Jr4Z0c2mWX2K4pct71T81wiSS-JleVzGnHab91fPCbBRZsm2dOdQGwR8AkK4f_Jvv-1whcaIfuw9-PP66bbLrUAROTK4AKFsN6PKhQpWUHh_OMyiCMxvZ5MbIZdwlgos3_Gw-MNttYUJUfk-XdoEws18RpXvTjiqSGtJ9Dx_5ctzO5lJXf5C8623fXWAEkM1dibeyfKzM8auZhvEzKesH1-3757OiUjD8nTDEULlA5GWwEosFf3Ap2thGgis&tracking_referrer=www.theguardian.com