YCW Climate Series: Pangolin Panic? The Realities of China’s Wildlife Reforms
with Aron White (Campaigner & China Specialist at Environmental Investigation Agency); Jinfeng Zhou (Secretary-General at China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF)); and Jingwei Zhang (Investment, Trade & Environment Program Officer at Global Environmental Institute)
Saturday, June 13, 2020, 12:00 pm (British Summer Time)
Access via a virtual conference platform – details in an Eventbrite email shortly before the event
For many conservationists, COVID-19 has highlighted the consequential link between the wildlife trade and global pandemics. COVID-19 has thus put China’s wildlife trade policies under the spotlight, in particular its Wildlife Protection Law. This law, which sets out the legislative basis for the management and protection of wildlife in China, is currently under revision by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the highest law-making body in China. If any lasting changes will be made to how China manages its legal and illegal wildlife trade and guards against future pandemics with zoonotic origins, they will be made here.
In February of this year, during its peak of COVID-19, the Chinese government temporarily shut wildlife farms and halted wildlife trading. But these measures have left more questions than answers. What bans have come into place? Will they be made permanent? And what exceptions will be made?
YCW is delighted to host Aron White, Jinfeng Zhou and Jingwei Zhang in conversation, who all address Chinese wildlife trade issues through their work.
RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ycw-ln-pangolin-panic-the-realities-of-chinas-wildlife-reforms-tickets-106976758364
About Aron White
Aron White is a Wildlife Campaigner and China Specialist at the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). Aron has worked in wildlife conservation for over five years, following a degree in Chinese, and has lived in Beijing and Taipei. Aron’s work at EIA focuses primarily on trade in big cats, and wildlife trade more generally in China.
About Jinfeng Zhou
Jinfeng Zhou is the Secretary-General of China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF), a leading independent environmental NGO based in China. He is also the Co-Director of Center of the Ecological Civilization, Institute of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era at Peking University, an Executive Committee Member of the Club of Rome, a member of the World Commission on Environmental Law of IUCN.
About Jingwei Zhang
Jingwei Zhang is an Investment, Trade and the Environment program officer at the Global Environmental Institute (GEI). Since coming on board in 2015, Jingwei has researched extensively on China’s engagement in international environmental affairs, focusing on topics of combating wildlife trade, forestry governance, as well as NGO development.
YCW Climate Series Lineup: Other events
6.30pm BST, Wed 3rd June: ‘What can the world learn from China’s leading role in energy and electric vehicles?’ In conversation with Barbara Finamore
For the opening event of the YCW Climate Series, we are delighted to be in conversation with Barbara Finamore to discuss what the world can learn from China’s leading role in energy and electric vehicles.
Barbara who founded the National Resources Defense Council’s China Program and played an instrumental role in China’s aforementioned energy triumphs and continues to hold a key role in solving the energy and climate challenges that still face both China and the rest of the world. Through discussing China’s energy and electric vehicle transition, we aim to gain a better understanding of how China and other countries around the world can learn from each other to transition to low-carbon economies.
12pm BST, Sat 20th June: Feeding China: How Climate Change and Coronavirus are Challenging the Quest for Food Security
• Doris Lee, Consultant at Good Food Institute Consultancy (GFIC, Beijing);
• Other speakers to be announced shortly.
