There were calls for greater support from developing nations in terms of biodiversity conservation on Oct 11 – the opening day of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, or COP 15.

The event – held in Kunming city, capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province – ran until Oct 15.

The Convention on Biological Diversity, signed by 150 government leaders at the Rio Earth Summit –  a major United Nations conference in 1992 in the city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil – is the first global agreement to cover all aspects of biological diversity.

A list of 100 national demonstration cities (areas) for the development of an ecological civilization was released on Oct 12 during the conference and Quzhou city in East China's Zhejiang province, made it onto the list.

Developing an ecological civilization – China's environmental strategy, added to the constitution in 2018 — has been described sustainable development with Chinese characteristics. China's idea is for an ecological civilization — helping to promote global biodiversity and climate change talks — where the economy is the service of ecology and society, not vice versa and there is a balanced and sustainable relationship.

An official said that China would formulate a national biodiversity protection strategy and action plan for the new era and incorporate biodiversity protection into the mid and long-term development plans of all regions.