On October 28, 2021, Prof. Zhang Li, the deputy director of Shenzhen Fairy Lake Botanical Garden, was invited to participate in the UK-Southern China Climate Change Conference 2021 held in Guangzhou, and as a panel member joined the panel discussion focusing on biodiversity in the side event 3: Global Challenge: How to Transform into Nature Positive Future.

This conference is hosted by the British Consulate General in Guangzhou, with the theme “Pathway to COP26 and Beyond”, as a satellite meeting of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) to be held in Glasgow, UK from November 1-12, 2021. The conference brought together more than 150 participants of government, business and academic institutions from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Hunan, Hainan, and Fujian, with a vision to further deepening the cooperation between South China and the United Kingdom in tackling global climate change. The conference was held online and offline simultaneously throughout the day. The opening ceremony was officiated by Ms. Jo Hawley (贺颂雅), the British Consul-General in Guangzhou. Presentations and discussion focused on carbon neutral policies, UK-China joint project, renewable energy, green finance, and zero-carbon transportation, etc. During the conference, the host also announced seven cooperation projects between the UK and South China to tackle climate change and jointly move towards a zero-carbon future.

As a senior expert in bryophyte biodiversity research and science education, Prof. Zhang Li presented the panel discussion with other specialists, including Mr. Alex Zhang of Eco Global Foundation & Executive Director of Jiangsu Yellow Sea Wetland Institute, Associate Prof. Alice Hughes of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Associate Prof. Hu Ren of Jinan University, Prof. Samuel Turvey from the Institute of Zoology, London (Online), and Prof. Nick Miles of the University of Nottingham Ningbo, etc. Issues discussed include evidence based policy making-the role of science, the twin crisis of climate change and biodiversity loss, and the role and importance of South China in biodiversity. The panel was hosted by Ms. Grace Carey (彭慧), Counselor of Science and Technology, British Embassy, Beijing.