On 2 July, the China Foundation for Human Rights Development and the Universal Rights Group co-hosted a thematic side event, “Safeguarding Environmental Rights in the Context of Climate Change,” at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Experts from non-governmental organisations in China and elsewhere held in-depth exchanges on environmental-rights protection, climate policy, green development and synergistic cooperation, and the conservation achievements in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and the Taklamakan Desert.

Professor Yang Bochao, Vice Dean of the Academy of Human Rights at China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL), observed that climate change and environmental degradation are universal challenges that determine the future of humanity. He urged all countries—especially developed ones—to practise genuine multilateralism, strengthen and refine environmental-protection mechanisms under the United Nations framework, and take the lead in raising the ambition of their emission-reduction plans. Developed nations, he added, must honour their commitments on climate finance and technology transfer to developing countries. Only through collective action can a just and effective global environmental-governance system be built.

Mark Limon, Executive Director of the Universal Rights Group, emphasised that access to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a universal human right—a goal his organisation has long promoted internationally. Climate change and human-rights protection are inseparable, he noted, and UN resolutions have already affirmed the clear and direct impact of climate change on human rights. States should therefore integrate human-rights considerations into their climate action under the UN framework. China’s many low-carbon and emission-reduction measures, he concluded, exemplify this very principle.

Dr Jiang Jiani, Chair of the Department of International Law and Foreign-related Law at the Minzu University of China School of Law, drew on her home region of Wuwei, Gansu, to illustrate the “photovoltaic sand-control” project. She demonstrated how China is merging innovation with rights protection, translating green concepts into on-the-ground practice, and pursuing a path of “modernisation characterised by harmony between humanity and nature.” By placing green development at the centre of its agenda, China has set clear “dual-carbon” goals and is accelerating the transition to a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system.

Professor Zhang Dengke, Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs at the School of Chinese Language and Literature, Xinjiang University, shared the dramatic transformation of the Taklamakan Desert through sand-prevention and afforestation efforts. While ecological barriers are being consolidated, desert resources are being harnessed effectively through technological advances. Once known as the “Sea of Death,” the Taklamakan is becoming a “land of miracles.” Multiple photovoltaic projects have commenced construction or entered operation across Xinjiang; renewable energy now accounts for more than half of local power generation, with clean energy steadily replacing traditional sources.

Zhang Yongpan, Director of the Tibet Studies Research Unit at the Institute of Chinese Border Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, explained that ecological construction and environmental protection on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau constitute a core component of China’s modernisation drive. These efforts are advancing in tandem with economic development, social progress and rising living standards. Through scientific planning, rule-of-law safeguards, systematic governance and livelihood improvements, the region is on track to become one of the highest-quality ecological environments in the world.

Associate Professor Lan Hua, from the School of International Law at CUPL, noted that, under the guidance of the ecological-civilisation concept, China has elevated “dual-carbon” objectives to a strategic priority and is actively developing and implementing climate-adaptation regulations to promote and safeguard human and environmental rights. Thirty provincial-level “climate-change adaptation action plans” and related local regulations have been introduced, demonstrating both the effectiveness of China’s climate-adaptation efforts and their positive impact on environmental-rights protection.

Dr Liang Xiaohui, Chief Researcher at the Social Responsibility Office of the China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC), shared China’s experience in promoting a just transition through its new-energy industries. At the inaugural Global Corporate Summit on Building High-Quality Belt and Road Cooperation in May this year, 24 photovoltaic enterprises jointly launched the Global Photovoltaic Industry Sustainable Development Initiative, calling on the sector to pool wisdom and resources to advance green development while accelerating a rapid and equitable transformation.