The 2011 Eco-Forum Global drew a number of senior government officials and scientists, and this year the number is expected to reach another high. Photos Provided to China Daily

Accompanied by Li Jun (left), Party chief of Guiyang, and Li Zaiyong (right), Guiyang mayor, Zhao Kezhi (center), Party chief and governor of Guizhou province, paid a visit to Guizhou Haotian Optoelectronics Technology Co Ltd in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou in June.

Tung Chee Hwa (center), the first elected chief executive of Hong Kong special administrative region, took part in the event last year.

Former Premier of Ireland Bertie Ahern joined the event in 2011.

Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair addressed the Eco-Forum Global on Aug 22, 2009.

On the opening ceremony of 2011 EFG, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sent a congratulatory letter to the event.

The upcoming Eco-Forum Global, to be held from July 26 to 28, will once again draw the world's attention to Guiyang, capital of Guizhou province.

Under the theme of "Green Economy and Inclusive Growth in a Transformational World", the conference is a significant forum with international influence that focuses on promoting an ecological society throughout the world.

It is a high-level platform dedicated to spreading the idea of an ecological civilization as well as sharing knowledge and experiences, and promoting the implementation of environmental policy.

The 2012 forum is co-sponsored by the Committee of Population, Resources and Environment of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Environmental Protection Ministry, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Peking University and Guizhou's provincial government.

Previous attendees to and speakers at the forum include China's ministers, provincial officials and foreign officials, such as Tony Blair, former prime minister of the United Kingdom, and Bertie Aher, former premier of the Republic of Ireland.

More than 1,200 scientists, officials and entrepreneurs will participate in this year's forum, where they will seek solutions for sustainable development that enable nations to achieve both an ecological society and rapid industrialization.

The annual conference has more than 40 sub-forums featuring in-depth discussions of such themes as green transformation and inclusive growth in the changing world, including green jobs, green food security and ecological urbanization.

2012 marks the fourth consecutive year Guiyang has hosted the event. Over the past three years, the forum has successfully transformed from a regional activity into a beacon of international environmental protection.

As an inland city, the unique ecology and rich resources of Guiyang combined with local officials' forward-looking strategies have played a key role in achieving an ecological civilization and industrialization.

Five years ago, Li Jun, former director of the Publicity Department of Guizhou, was appointed as Guiyang's new Party secretary.

After comprehensive research, he decided to build a city that promotes ecological civilization under the guidance of scientific development.

"If our Earth is sick, then we must cure it with a low-carbon economy, green development and an ecological civilization," Li said.

The Party secretary said a low-carbon economy can directly reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Green development, which includes environmental protection and pollution control, further strengthens the low-carbon economy, he said.

"Ecological civilization is a systematic therapy that contains many aspects-for instance, natural, economic, political and cultural," Li said.

"Therefore, these three aspects are the right track we must follow in the future."

Ecology meets industry

As a mountainous region, Guizhou's green mountains and rivers are great ecological advantages for the city. However, due to its unique landscape features, Guiyang is not suitable for most traditional methods for mitigating the effects of pollution.

Guiyang started to seek its own development pattern: to build a city that adheres to the concept of ecological civilization under the guidance of scientific development.

After years of efforts, Guiyang realized that its unique climate and geographical features constitute a great resource for the city.

For the city's urban construction, Guiyang aims to build a city surrounded by lakes and forests.

To accomplish that, it requires a series of projects, including environmental protection, industrial development, city planning and legal protection.

In order to end the pollution of lakes and reservoir and restore water quality, Guiyang established an environmental protection court, which uses legal measures instead of administrative means to solve the pollution problem. Furthermore, the city began to build new infrastructure to further maintain its environment, such as the Huaxi River National Wetland Park.

According to the data provided by Li at a recent meeting regarding the city's planning, the standard of reservoir water quality in Guiyang has risen from class five to class two, while 100 percent of drinking water is above the quality standard.

After strengthening watershed management, 95.83 percent of the surface water has reached the quality requirement.

In addition, the city's forest coverage rate has increased to 42.3 percent; the rate of excellent air quality is above 95 percent; 95.2 percent of the sewage and 93.71 percent of the garbage have been treated.

The city's ecological practices and the environmental forum have won it praise from provincial officials.

It has been dedicated to optimizing local ecological environment and takes culture and tourism sectors as economic pillars.

"The government has been devoted to eliminating conflicts between boosting industrialization and maintaining the ecological environment. We will fully support the EFG to become a trend-leading summit with international influence." said Zhao Kezhi, Party secretary of and governor of Guizhou .

Moreover, the forum has also received approval and attention from leaders of the central government.

"Since the first forum in 2009, the EFG has been focused on facing reality, the grassroots, life and the world, striving to explore the universal law of ecological civilization construction," China's top political advisor and CPPCC Chairman Jia Qinglin noted for the event last year.

"We must sum up successful experiences and carry out international cooperation to improve the level of ecological civilization,"Jia said.

Contact the writers at yangjun@chinadaily.com.cn and zhaokai@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 07/26/2012 page24)