From July 7 to 8, 2025, Quan Zhanjun, Vice President of the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (CRAES), led a delegation to Nairobi, Kenya, for an exchange visit focusing on biodiversity conservation and related fields. The delegation was warmly received by Zhou Jun, Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The delegation visited the UNEP and the Sino-Africa Joint Research Center (SAJOREC) , holding exchange discussions centered on strengthening resource sharing and deepening scientific and technological cooperation.
During the meetings, UNEP extended a warm welcome to the delegation. Dr. Liu Jian, Director of the Early Warning and Assessment Division; Ms. Doreen Robinson, Acting Deputy Director of the Ecosystems Division; and Ms. Jane Akumu, Deputy Director of the Sustainability and Mobility Unit, Industry and Economy Division, respectively introduced their departmental structures and progress in key operational areas. They expressed strong interest in enhancing technical collaboration with CRAES across several critical areas including Global Environment Facility (GEF) project applications, water pollution control, biodiversity conservation, and environmental health.
Dr. Quan expressed heartfelt gratitude for UNEP’s invitation. He outlined CRAES’ institutional development, disciplinary strengths, and research infrastructure, highlighting its tangible achievements in providing technological support for biodiversity conservation, environmental pollution prevention and control, and the synergistic control of pollution and carbon reduction in China. He emphasized UNEP’s pivotal role as the UN system’s primary body and authoritative institution for global environmental affairs, noting its “significant contributions to worldwide ecological protection and sustainable development.” He underscored the “long-standing productive cooperation between UNEP and China,” which establishes a solid foundation for expanded collaboration. In recent years, under the leadership of China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), CRAES has attached great importance to international engagement, actively promoting Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. We actively develop cooperation with Belt and Road partner countries through eco-environmental science and technology innovation, injecting scientific impetus into the Green Belt and Road Initiative.
Vice President Quan hoped both sides would leverage this visit to deepen scientific and technological innovation cooperation in biodiversity conservation, climate change response, and environmental pollution management. CRAES stands ready to sustain its role in providing scientific and technological support and committed to working hand in hand with UNEP to jointly advance global environmental governance and sustainable development through scientific innovation.
During the visit to SAJOREC, Mr. Yu Quan, Director of Overseas Affairs, presented the Center’s development positioning, operational framework, and scientific advancements. Both sides exchanged views on development of overseas scientific platforms, research project applications, and talent cultivation. The delegation toured the laboratories, affiliated botanical garden, and modern agricultural demonstration zone.
Experts from CRAES’s Vehicle Emission Control Center, Institute of Solid Waste Pollution Control Technology, and Center for Pollution and Carbon Reduction remotely engaged in the discussions and delivered technical presentations.
