Working Summary for Attending the EFG 2015

--- GIESD EFG 2015 working team

(July 13^th 2015)

At the invitation of the EFG 2014’s Secretary General Xinsheng Zhang, led by the GIESD founding president Dr. Song, the GIESD research team of four participated the full course of EFG 2015 from June 25^th to 29^th in Guiyang. Our work team included the GIESD president Dr. Song, member of IUEI research team associate professor of Jiangnan University Xiaoying Cheng, former director of the Department of Environmental Design of Guangxi Qingzhou College and currently Sichuan University doctoral candidate Fengguo Liu, and Qingzhou College student research assistant Yiping Liu.

During this EFG, as always, the Guizhou Province Housing Department supplied considerate, responsible and innovative support. The Housing Department Vice Director Xiuli Zhang, Commissioner Jiaqiang Xu, Vice Commissioner Qi Zhao and Li Duan had provided synthesized help from as early as the conference preparation period. Kai Li from Guizhou Housing Department offered meticulous one-to-one direction and warm-hearted assistance to the GIESD team during the whole forum. The Guizhou Priovince Housing Department Party Secretary Weihua Ming and its Personnel Division director Yawei Dong, who provided us warm reception last year, attended our team summary event out of their busy schedule. They showed sincere and continuous attention and support from the Guizhou Government. From the beginning, related personnel had offer us necessary assistance to communicate and interact efficiently, including Guizhou Provincial Deputy Secretary General Hong Tian, Vice Governor of Guizhou Province Mingming Chen, Guizhou Province Environmental Protection Department Director Ping Jiang, Guiyang Municipal Committee and Guanshanhu Distinct Party Secretary Zuoxun Li, Deputy Secretary General of Guiyang Municipal Committee and Vice Mayor of Guanshanhu Distinct Linyi Zhu, Principal in Eco-Civilization Office of Provincial Environmental Protection Department Zhu Zhang and Deyu Ao, etc. At the same time, GIESD members felt the cordial sincerity to have the continuous aid from forum Committee Cunsong Xia and Hai Zhang as always, as well as the attention from Secretary General Xinsheng Zhang. I am grateful to all of you on behalf of the GIESD. 

The theme of this EFG emphasized the new concept in domestic politics and ecology development, and the progressiveness of the forum. This forum’s theme was “Embracing a New Era of Eco-Civilization: New Agenda, New Normal, New Action”. Its English translation was professional, which explicitly defined the full English interpretation of Eco-Civilization, “Embracing a New Era of Eco-Civilization: New Agenda, New Normal, New Action”. Pending the seven years from 2009 to 2015, the forum has depended on Guiyang, Guizhou province’s capital with the strategic position linking between the developed eastern area and the developing western area, which possesses uniquely generalized eco-resources, highlighting the international perspective of eco-civilization. It is an important platform for expressing, reflecting, comprehending and resonating with the world. It is an innovation on the interpretation of the theme. Also the accurate expression of “New Agenda, New Normal, New Action.” was a creative attempt. The theme proposed the innovation of the agenda, the advance of the basis and the initial transition from “discuss passionately” to “act practically”. The topic this year-- “Applying Generalized Ecology Principles and Methods Successfully” turned out to enter a steady and mature period from an exploring intention.

1．2．对会议国际性的认识

The EFG this year made important efforts and optimistic achievement via using exoteric words and effective communication in order to exchange on international eco-environment, raise the awareness on circumnuclear interests, pursue the advance and discuss new accordance. We were told during the forum that the connotation of eco-civilization comes from China, despite that it was proposed by a certain professor that we did not know from University of Tennessee. The eco-civilization has been a significant national action and proposal and its meaning has been discussing. But on the international level now, its principle and expression are in need of explaining and defining more deeply. For example, as for “eco-civilization”, it highlighted the centric topic and covered the generalized aspect clearly. The last forum covered the whole eco-civilization by adopting “Eco”. However, we had to say it served as a new action to translate as “Eco-Civilization”.

As we mentioned last year, the forum chose abbreviation “EFG” to represent “Eco Forum Global Annual Conference Guiyang”, which simply matched the international thought. The EFG 2015 has been a momentous symbol for a full-fledged stage since 2009.

In accordance with the theme this year, our GIESD’s EFG 2015 working summary was divided into three parts as follows:

1. New Agenda

For the purpose of enlarging the Chinese voice in the eco-civilization, resonating and reflecting the concept with the international arena, We conducted a survey in one of the most important American universities, Yale University, asking seven questions such as the meaning of eco-civilization, the understanding the degree of EFG and Guizhou in the world before participating this forum. Therefore, we have the right to speak after study. We knew from 76 questionnaires that nearly two-thirds of the interviewees did not know or only partly knew the connotation and extension of “eco-civilization” even in Yale. Thus, we propose that it is necessary to define its connotation according to generalized ecology principle and practice.

Last EFG, the Housing Department formal deputy director Baoxing Qiu, the mayor of Guiyang Wenxin Liu, the principal of Peking Mining Industry university, and the GIESD president Yajie Song attended “Close and Together with Eco-Civilization” program at the CCTV finance and economy channel. Dr. Song raised three standards of evaluating eco-civilization during the interaction: healthily (including body, mind-set and spirit) enjoy eco-resource, efficiently (low carbon, investment payback rate, ecologic funds circle and land) use eco-resources and protect sustainable eco-resource. Dr. Song especially emphasized generalized, space-time and opportunity-like eco-resources. Taking Guiyang as an instant, we should improve citizens’ knowledge of “together with eco-civilization” and then try to put into practice by 13 relevant indices. From then on, Dr. Song designed a rapid ecologic evaluation research intituling “Together with Eco-ivilization—Starting from Zhucheng Square”. In the frame action, Dr. Song made preliminary research around Zhucheng Square with Guiyang No.1 high school and Guizhou University Architecture and Planning college and drew a conclusion that we had provided important framework and direction so as to spread “together with eco-civilization”.

Harmonizing Human and Nature with Vision and Enabling Health Enjoyment, Effective Utilization and Sustainable Protection and Development of Interdisciplinary Ecosystem Resources.

2.New Normal

This was our second time of participating Guiyang sub-forum, separately attended “solid waste” sub-forum organized by the Housing Department and "Biodiversity and Green Development" sub-forum sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency, and made a keynote speech in the latter. This year’s title given by the organizers entitled “Biodiversity, Regional Development and Poverty Reduction”. According to the theory of our eco-system ecology, combined with Yale - New Haven area’s equitable development of practices and generalized poverty reduction social concept, we participated and discussed with the forum colleagues. Our opinions were welcomed with the positive feedback and attention from other participants and media-related units.

This year's participation is a continuation and development of our attendance in each sub-forum last year, and here we review the past and last year's efforts: in the EFG 2014 interaction, Dr. Song described the domestic research-based, opening and forward-looking decision to promote international exchange views, taking Yale - Tsinghua ten-year development training plan “Environment and Sustainable Development Leadership Project – ESDLP” as a successful example. And he emphasized that the correct concept of ecological civilization and scientific system, project structure were important guarantees for the development of ecological civilization. Accordingly, he praised the EFG 2014 focusing on “reform-driven, global cooperation, and together towards a new era of ecological civilization”, which was the far-sighted, pragmatic, feasible and preliminary result. At the same time, as a starting point, he set forth in the framework of the new cooperation between the two countries relations, efforts to achieve a bottom-up popular participation, which would make the world hand in hand, jointly promoting ecological civilized content and composition. Dr. Song believes, based on Yale, aimed at promoting 13-year environmental and sustainable development of GIESD-Yale Institute, and based on the “cool Guiyang”, urging to join global ecological civilization, harmony and tolerance, the opening of the EFG new era of ecological civilization forum were an important model with innovation and continuous development. The comparative communication and interaction between the two, will provide a new platform and an important opportunity to the EFG’s continuous development.

As one of the activities during last World Forum, Dr. Song spoke as the last guest of “Chinese Culture and Ecological Civilization” forum. It was described as “totally new, different, truthful statement and way of thinking with cases of data icons that discuss the successful attempt of Chinese culture and ecological civilization through comparative study” by the presiding officer. In his speech Dr. Song carefully elaborated the understanding from GIESD team of ecological symbiosis generalized nature and civilization (especially scientific novelty of the development process). Just as the name of the research institute’s name “GIESD” that Dr. Song mentioned at the meeting – its Chinese translation “Jishide” also has deep Chinese classical philosophy meaning. He highlighted the advance, richness and dominance of Chinese culture in the world civilization, and it also enriched the world's cultural diversity and comparability. He introduced a comparative study of the ecosystem approach adopted by Yale, which is reflection of respect and tolerance between the different ethnic cultures, identification and scientific combination with the globe hand in hand, and can be applied and verified in practice. In particular, he introduced the world to study the product achievement--a “Generalized Urban Ecological Innovation” (the “IUEI”) launched by Qinzhou China and GIESD. It included comparative study, scientific induction and initial understanding among the Chinese culture, the Indian culture and the Western culture. After three years of efforts, the IUEI was concluded on June 17, 2015 after five experts reviewed. Currently, a total of three-hundred-and-thirty-thousand words report was being enriched and rewritten, which is expected to be published before the end of the year by Beijing Science Press,.

3. New Action

In the efforts of driving ecological civilization of “New Agenda, New Normal, and New Action”, practicing green development ecological civilization, “discuss passionately” which lasted seven years is bound to guide the implementation of the “act practically”. Therefore, the GIESD team with the promotion of ecological civilization, environmental friendly and sustainable development efforts, has gone through the successful implementation of “City ring five point line regional stability and ecological security in Bohai, Shenyang (RESS, 2005-2012)”, “Shenzhen Dapeng Peninsula Urban Environmental Crisis Management (UECM, 2007-2012)” and “Qinzhou General Urban Ecological Innovation (IUEI, 2012-2015)”. After nearly a year of observation and thinking, GIESD proposed the basic elements - focusing on ecological civilization beautiful scenery urban tree biomass of the social and economic capital evaluation and assessment, transforming and comparing “Urban Ecosystem Resources Initiatives-UERI” in the Guiyang International Conference Center located in Guiyang Guanshanhu Distinct, and GIESD in the Yale New Haven for the successful launch of “Education Ecosystem Practice and Exchange, EEPE” project. In one year, the preliminary UERI research results we will be ready to propose in the Guiyang International Forum Annual Meeting of 2016, are the first strategic cooperation test between Guiyang Guanshanhu District and us, with the intent of “a decade for growing trees, a hundred-year for educating men”. Through the twice participation in Guiyang forum and the surrounding ecological environment observation, we recognized, Guiyang Guanshanhu, as the international ecological civilization, especially the forum venue, should become the origin of thinking globally and acting locally and practically, from myself, from young ages on.

As the eco-civilization Guiyang international forum venue, Guanshanhu District is associated directly with the material and tree biomass with many years of care. According to the Urban Resource Initiative study with the focus on tree biomass initiated at Yale University in the United States, the research project first will develop, investigate, and evaluate practically of the greenness from the beautiful scenery, calculate the biomass, seek truth from facts, do every tree’s satellite positioning, record in files, and follow each tree dynamically. In 1986 as a master student began at the Yale School of Forestry and Environment Studies, Dr. Song’s first part time job research project is to accurately measure each and every root of the street trees, in New Haven, under the guidance of the world famous economist Professor William Nordhause. Thus, thirty years ago when Yale professors started relevant biomass quantification measurement, they took not only the trunk, crown surface above, but also the part below the surface into account, which fully display the science, pragmatism and undeniability. And the accuracy of the different tree species and the follow-up highlighted the scientific pragmatic, and conscience nature of the Yale research. Biomass is the material base scientifically guiding from the “beautiful scenery” to “economic impact”. Marx doctrines acknowledges first attribute of material. Accordingly, after seven years of experiencing “discuss passionately”, we will make scientific researches on ecological biomass at the forum area, first of all is to have each tree registered, record satellite position, focus on the conversion from social benefits of the biomass to economic capital pricing. This is the practice of low carbon economy, low carbon city, and low carbon life span of international standards and of building a major innovation in the future. This is also the support and contribution of the material first attribute to the Ecological Civilization International Guiyang.

We proposed to scientifically focus our “Urban Ecosystem Resources Initiatives UERI” project around the International Convention and Conference Center at Guanshanhu District , according to the assessment and measurement of biomass. In the feasibility suggestion report, we detailedly introduced the forum this year of the successful precedent of the Yale New Haven “Urban Resources Initiative” and its effective promotion in the northeastern United States of during the keynote speech. It provided ample comparison examples to our creative thoughts and discussion. Considering our both sides full trust for mutual cooperation and team support, we have no doubt that, in Guiyang, Guizhou China, the UERI cooperative R & D will make more effects than what was got by Yale University URI project in New Haven, CT. In this regard, we attach below the PDF documents on this year's keynote speech, and will expand and follow up during the UERI feasibility demonstration at the end of July 2015 in Guiyang.

We fully agree the “not only money, but also green mountains; staying green is being affluent” motioned in the forum. We further advocate and insist on seeking truth from facts, making foreign things and successful experience serve China science development at home and abroad, living in pleasant climate in Guiyang, focusing on the economic benefits, cherishing beautiful scenery, digesting the interrelation and practical value. Thus, eco-environment is not only economic benefits verbally, but in real life. From the theory of ecological civilization, it is to think over, to realize, and to practice low-carbon ecology, low carbon economy, low carbon city, low carbon life, and to conscientiously treat low carbon as our attitude toward life. These are our real intention, goal, expectations, role models and the future of launching the seven years of Eco-Civilization Guiyang International Forum!
We follow the ecosystem ecology, pay attention to the all-round development, giving consideration to the new agenda planning, with the combination of “a decade for growing trees” and “a hundred years for educating men”, development in China. We promote the advantages with the success of ecological education practice for many years (Education Ecosystem Practice, or EEP, and fully mobilize the education resources in Yale and New Haven, using the R & D UERI we advocate as a practice platform. Guiyang, especially Guanshanhu Distinct’s younger generation, provides ecological cognition and cherishes nature, advocating the practice platform. Let them learn and mature from the practice. Therefore, we advocate to have the “a decade for growing trees” and “a hundred years for educating men” in the research and development integrated into UERI. This is our practice from the Liaoning launched RESS- Northeast Yucai EEP, practice, the Shenzhen UECM- Tsinghua and other universities EET education practice, and Qinzhou IUEI, all coming down in one continuous line. We hope and believe that UERI and EEP-B20 and the participating students from the Guanshanhu Distinct, will further develop our “a decade for trees and a hundred years for men” - the strategic concept and cooperative R & D, as we will further enrich the R& D education practice and culture, combining the overall blueprint and expectations of the target, which will provide opportunities for not only teachers but students, and greatly enrich our R & D with support and feedback.

From last year the first time we participated in the EFG Guiyang forum its topic “Joining the Globe, Building the Institutional Framework, and Selecting the Path”, to today the detailed considered and carefully planned “New Agenda, New Normal, New Action”, from the “discuss passionately” to the connotation of ecological civilization and “act practically” with the preliminary scheme, GIESD, together with its peers from Tsinghua University, Peking University in China, and Yale, Cornell, and Columbia University in the United States, with its friends around many cities around China including Guiyang, will keep going forward hand in hand and making common progress.

To this end, we will again make a brief summary, expecting to receive valuable comments and correction.

At the end of attending the EFG '14 Forum, under the considerate arrangement from Guizhou Province Housing Department deputy director Xiuli Zhang, Rena Zhao, Kai Li etc., we could visit famous Qingyan ancient town in Guiyang city. The opportunity further deepened our understanding of the long history of Guizhou, the profound culture of Guiyang, and the review of the Qingyan education tradition. It undoubtedly would continue our friendship and cooperation with Guizhou, Guiyang and Guanshanhu Distinct, and increase the new agenda, the new normal and the new action! The GIESD research team - Professor Xiaoying Cheng (Jiangnan University), Professor Fengguo Liu (Qinzhou University, Sichuan University), Yiping Liu (Qinzhou University Education College junior student), Qiuya Li (Guiyang No.1 High School 2015 graduate, currently freshman at Peking University Medical College), Xueying Wang (MPA at Cornell Institute for Public Affairs 2015’) and director Yajie Song myself thank you again for the China Guiyang EFG '15 forum, the Guizhou provincial Party committee deputy secretary general Hong Tian , Guizhou Province vice governor Mingming Chen, the Guizhou Provincial Housing Department, Environmental Protection Department, Guiyang, Guanshanhu Distinct and other relevant units and friends for their hospitality and thoughtful arrangements and enthusiastic support. We look forward to making new contributions to the sustainable development and the success of the forum together!

The GIESD Institute

founding executive director Dr. Song and his team

July 13^th, 2015

New Haven, USA