Biodiversity provides an important foundation for the survival and development of the human race. It not only affects the well-being of humanity and future generations, but also has a key bearing on the sustainability of global development, and potentially even the rise and fall of civilization. Since the dawn of industrial civilization, mankind has created massive material wealth. But this has come at the cost of intensified exploitation of natural resources, which has disrupted the balance of the earths ecosystems, giving rise to ecological crises manifesting in terms of biodiversity loss and environmental damage. Now, on the brink of the sixth mass extinction, with the global rate of species extinction accelerating, severe ecosystem degradation and loss of biodiversity pose major threats to human survival and development.
Rising to these challenges, the United Nations has called upon the international community to increase biodiversity awareness, asking countries worldwide to make positive efforts to implement biodiversity protection measures. After the Convention on Biological Diversity was signed in 1992, the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, adopted in 2010, added further impetus for the establishment of a global biodiversity governance mechanism.
Despite widespread consensus regarding securing biodiversity and ensuring the sustainable use of biological resources, countries actions on the ground have been far from sufficient, and the progress of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity has been sluggish. As the world approaches a crossroads in addressing the biodiversity crisis, in order to arrive at a systematic solution for protecting biodiversity and realizing the goal of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature, both a holistic approach and a grand vision are sorely needed. On September 30, 2020, Chinese President Xi Jinping, speaking at the United Nations Summit on Biodiversity, noted that Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth, which is the theme of next years Biodiversity Conference in Kunming, embodies humanitys hope for a better future. China has prioritized biodiversity protection in the joint efforts to develop an ecological civilization and to create a shared future for life on Earth, contributing Chinese wisdom to global biodiversity protection.
Globally, biodiversity loss can be attributed to five main causes habitat loss and degradation, overexploitation, climate change, environmental pollution, and invasive alien species. A key underlying driver exacerbating these problems has been the unsustainable pattern of energy development. Since the Industrial Revolution, long-term, large-scale development and utilization of fossil fuels has produced large volumes of greenhouse gases and other harmful substances, leading to temperature increases, environmental degradation, and resource shortages, and posing a serious threat to global biodiversity. At this rate, there is a real possibility especially with the climate crisis looming of the emergence of a global ecological crisis, disastrous for all life on Earth, sometime in the coming decades. To address this intensifying challenge, energy, the linchpin of the problem, must be addressed, and major efforts made to expedite the energy and electric power revolution, to mitigate and reverse the damage inflicted by fossil fuel use on biodiversity, and to promote coordinated energy and power development and biodiversity governance.
Global Energy Interconnection (GEI) is a new energy system steering a path towards clean energy production, broadened energy allocation, and the electrification of energy consumption, as well as an important platform for the large-scale development, transmission and utilization of clean energy resources worldwide. GEI is essential enabler of the worldwide energy and electric power revolution. Relative to the current development path, upon which economies and societies rely on fossil fuels, GEI represents a complete game-changer: a catalyst for a new energy development model characterized by zero pollution, zero carbon emissions, and high efficiency and a radical solution for the crucial problem of fossil fuel usage, which has long harmed and hindered biodiversity. GEI can promote the coordinated and sustainable development of energy and the environment, offer effective measures for the protection of biodiversity, and inject new momentum into the development of ecological civilization, and the creation of a shared future for life on Earth.
GEI has been widely acknowledged by the international community as a systematic solution for driving world energy transition and facilitating sustainable development. To date, it has been included in the frameworks for advancing the UNs 2030 Agenda, for the implementation of the Paris Agreement, for the promotion of environmental governance, for solving electricity access, poverty and health issues, and for other issues, and has been included in the UN High-level Political Forum Policy Briefs for four years in a row. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described GEI as core to human sustainable development, key to inclusive global growth, and crucial to the implementation of the UNs 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement.
In recent years, the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO) has advanced its research into GEI as an enabler for sustainable development, releasing action plans concerning the implementation of the UNs 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement, the advancement of global environmental governance, and the solution of power access, poverty and health issues. In addition, drawing on practical experience and expertise, GEIDCO has conducted extensive study on the relationships between energy, power and biodiversity, and has completed Biodiversity and Revolution of Energy and Electric Power, a work whose aim is, via a systematic evaluation of the significance of biodiversity, to shed light on the progress in and challenges facing global biodiversity protection, and to analyze the main drivers of biodiversity loss. This has revealed the unsustainable, fossil fuel-dominated pattern of energy development as the major underlying issue and contributor to the biodiversity crisis. The book proposes new ideas and approaches, a roadmap for advancing the energy and electric power revolution and securing biodiversity via GEI development, and a package of feasible, practicable, and scalable solutions for promoting the energy and electric power revolution and biodiversity protection on a worldwide basis. It consists of seven chapters:
Chapter 1 explains the notion of biodiversity, and the significance of its role in advancing economic and social development, creating a shared future for life on Earth, achieving worldwide sustainable development, and advancing human civilization.
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Foreword
1 The Significance of Biodiversity001
1.1 The Meaning of Biodiversity002
1.2 Biodiversity as an Essential Basis for Economic and Social Development004
1.3 Biodiversity as a Solid Basis for Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth010
1.3.1 Biodiversity Provides a Favorable Environment for the Harmonious
Coexistence of Organisms010
1.3.2 Biodiversity Provides Necessary Conditions for the Reproduction and
Evolution of Species013
1.3.3 Biodiversity Provides a Fundamental Guarantee for the Stability of
Ecosystems014
1.4 Biodiversity as a Major Pillar for Sustainable World Development016
1.5 Biodiversity as a Key Factor Affecting the Rise and Fall of Human Civilization020
2 Biodiversity: Current Status and Challenges023
2.1 Current Status of Biodiversity024
2.1.1 Loss of Species Diversity024
2.1.2 Deterioration of Ecosystem Diversity029
2.1.3 Loss of Genetic Diversity033
2.2 United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity035
2.2.1 Evolution of Biodiversity Conservation035
2.2.2 Implementation of Convention on Biological Diversity036
2.3 Main Challenges038
3 Major Drivers of the Biodiversity Crisis043
3.1 Habitat Loss045
3.1.1 Forest Destruction046
3.1.2 Grasslands Destruction048
3.1.3 Destruction of Freshwater Habitats050
3.1.4 Destruction of Marine Habitats051
3.2 Excessive Consumption of Biological Resources052
3.2.1 Excessive Consumption for Energy Use052
3.2.2 Excessive Consumption for Food054
3.2.3 Excessive Consumption for Medicinal Use054
3.2.4 Excessive Consumption for Clothes Making055
3.2.5 Excessive Consumption for Handicraft Use056
3.3 Climate Change056
3.3.1 Temperature Increases057
3.3.2 Ocean Acidification058
3.3.3 Glacier Melting058
3.3.4 Extremely Severe Disasters059
3.4 Environmental Pollution060
3.4.1 Air Pollution061
3.4.2 Freshwater Pollution061
3.4.3 Soil Pollution062
3.4.4 Marine Pollution062
3.5 Invasive Alien Species063
3.5.1 Unintentional Human Introduction of Alien Species064
3.5.2 Deliberate Human Introduction of Alien Species065
3.5.3 Invasion of Alien Species Indirectly Triggered by Climate Change066
3.5.4 Invasion of Genetically Modified Organisms067
3.6 Climate Change Is Increasingly Becoming the Overall Driver of the
Biodiversity Crisis067
4 Unsustainable Energy Development: an Important Cause of the Biodiversity Crisis069
4.1 Exacerbation of Climate Change071
4.1.1 Significant Amounts of CO2 Produced by Fossil Fuel Combustion071
4.1.2 Large Amounts of Methane Are Produced during Fossil Fuel Production
and Utilization073
4.2 Environmental Pollution073
4.2.1 Fresh Water and Soil Pollution due to Fossil Fuel Production073
4.2.2 Oil and Thermal Pollution Threatens Marine Ecological Security076
4.2.3 Air Pollution Caused by Fossil Fuel Combustion078
4.3 Habitat Loss081
4.3.1 Exploitation of Fossil Energy Intensifies Water and Soil Erosion in Mining
Areas081
4.3.2 Exploitation of Fossil Energy Leads to Habitat Fragmentation083
4.3.3 Fossil Energy Exploitation and Use Consumes Significant Water
Resources084
4.4 Excessive Biological Resource Consumption085
4.4.1 Biomass Energy Development and Usage Causes Excessive Forest
Resource Consumption085
4.4.2 Limited Electricity Access Leads to Tremendous Food Waste086
4.5 Increasing Risk of Biological Invasion086
4.6 Prioritizing Fossil Energy Development Seriously Threatens Biodiversity088
5 Promoting Biodiversity Protection through the Energy and Electric Power
Revolution089
5.1 Accelerated Energy and Electric Power Revolution Necessary to Achieve
Biodiversity Goals090
5.1.1 Biodiversity Protection Creates an Urgent Need for Green, Low-Carbon
Energy Development090
5.1.2 Directions of Energy and Electric Power Transition091
5.1.3 Energy and Electric Power Transition Tasks093
5.2 GEI Construction Is Core to the Energy and Electric Power Revolution096
5.2.1 The Essence of GEI096
5.2.2 GEI Promotes the Energy and Electric Power Revolution101
5.2.3 Development Roadmap for GEI105
5.3 Building GEI Offers a Systematic Solution for Biodiversity Protection111
5.3.1 Radically Addressing Climate Change112
5.3.2 Fully Controlling Environmental Pollution115
5.3.3 Dramatically Reducing Habitat Loss120
5.3.4 Effectively Promoting the Sustainable Use of Biological Resources127
5.3.5 Vigorously Promoting Ecological Restoration130
6 Plan and Roadmap for Promoting Biodiversity Conservation Based on GEI135
6.1Plan for Promoting GEI-based Climate Governance136
6.1.1Accelerate Reduction of Emissions during Energy Production137
6.1.2Accelerate Emissions Reduction during Energy Consumption151
6.1.3Actively Implement Negative Emissions Measures156
6.2Plans for Promotion of Environmental Governance Based on GEI157
6.2.1Accelerating the Phasing out of Fossil Fuels158
6.2.2Advocate Green Energy Use163
6.2.3Promote Clean Treatment of Pollutants167
6.3Plans for Habitat Protection Based on GEI168
6.3.1Accelerate the Development of High-Efficiency Ecological Agriculture168
6.3.2Accelerate Energy, Transportation and Information Networks (ETI)
Integration169
6.3.3Accelerate Micro-Grid on Islands174
6.4Plans for Promoting Sustainable Use of Biological Resources Based on GEI175
6.4.1Replace Firewood with Electricity to Reduce Deforestation175
6.4.2Reduce Food Waste via Electric Refrigeration176
6.4.3Reduce Consumption of Biological Resources via Electrosynthesis of
Raw Materials177
6.4.4Promote Ecological Poverty Alleviation via Upgrading the Industrial Chain177
6.5Plans for Promoting Ecological Restoration and Emergency Protection Based
on GEI178
6.5.1Accelerate the Application of Electricity-Water-Land-Forest178
6.5.2Promote Dynamic Biodiversity Monitoring Systems179
6.5.3Improve Wildlife Emergency Protection Capabilities180
6.6Innovation Plan for Key Biodiversity Promotion Technology Based on GEI183
6.6.1Accelerate Technological Innovation in Clean Power Generation183
6.6.2Accelerate Innovation in Clean Power Distribution185
6.6.3Speed up Technological Innovation in Electricity Replacement186
6.6.4Accelerate Technological Innovation in Electrosynthesis of Fuels and Raw Materials188
6.6.5Accelerate innovation in CCUS technology189
6.7GEI Provides an Excellent Tool for Promotion of Biodiversity Protection191
7 Supporting Mechanisms and Outlook193
7.1Key Mechanisms for Biodiversity Conservation via GEI194
7.1.1Planning and Coordination Mechanism195
7.1.2Policy Support Mechanism195
7.1.3Financial Investment Mechanism196
7.1.4International Cooperation Mechanism196
7.1.5Capacity Building Mechanism197
7.2Future Outlook and Proposals198"
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