China’s experience in improving urban air quality, protecting wetlands and integrating nature into urban planning could provide valuable lessons for cities around the world, Ingrid Coetzee, a representative of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, told NEWS.am on the sidelines of COP17 in Yerevan.
Coetzee, who is based in Cape Town, South Africa, highlighted Beijing and Wuhan as examples of Chinese cities that have made significant progress in addressing environmental challenges.
Beijing, which previously faced serious air pollution, has reduced pollution levels and expanded its green spaces. According to Coetzee, the city is working to ensure that everyone who lives or works there can reach a public green space within 15 minutes.
Wuhan, meanwhile, is known for its “sponge city” approach, which uses wetlands and other nature-based solutions to help manage flooding, support biodiversity and store carbon. Coetzee said the city’s experience offers examples of good practices that can be applied internationally.
She emphasized that sharing expertise is an important part of promoting sustainable urban development. ICLEI facilitates exchanges between cities, including bilateral cooperation and international events that bring together local authorities, experts and practitioners. For example, the organization has facilitated exchanges between South African cities and Chengdu, while also promoting cooperation on wetland conservation and other sustainability issues.
Chinese cities also share practical methodologies, tools and examples of successful projects through international platforms, including ICLEI’s online resources. These materials cover areas such as biodiversity, nature-based solutions, mobility and air quality, providing cities worldwide with practical examples of approaches to environmental challenges.
Assessing China’s international role in biodiversity protection, Coetzee pointed to the country’s contribution to the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the establishment of the Kunming Biodiversity Fund. She said China plays an important role in encouraging countries to set more ambitious goals and accelerate efforts to achieve the framework’s biodiversity targets.
Coetzee also praised Armenia for its organization of COP17. She described the conference venue in Yerevan as compact and welcoming and highlighted the city’s green spaces, parks and pedestrian areas.
Having attended the conference for two days, Coetzee said Armenia’s COP17 presidency had taken a proactive and clear approach. Yerevan has been working closely with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and other parties to ensure that the conference agenda meets its objectives.
Coetzee expressed optimism about the remainder of the conference, saying that Armenia and Yerevan had made a strong impression and that the conference had been well organized so far, giving reason to expect a successful COP17.