《科技日报》总编辑刘亚东在联合国气候变化公约会议上的发言
Speech in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Liu Yadong
Editor in Chief of Science and Technology Daily,
P R China
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,
It is my great honor to come to Katowice as a member of the Steering Committee for the “Chinese National Committee for Future Earth”, and speak at the COP24 working group meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
First of all, I'd like to talk about the relationship between ecological civilization building and sustainable development.
Ecological civilization is a brand-new axiology preference from the sustainable development strategy, and a choice made by human beings to cope with global ecological crisis. The Chinese government puts a high priority on ecological civilization building. China's economy has achieved great progress in the past 40 years of reform and opening-up, but at a stiff price –extensive development has led to ecological and environmental problems. The term "unbalanced and inadequate development" outlines the current situation in China well.
When we look at people's livelihoods, there are problems, too. Poverty alleviation is a tough mission. More than 40 million Chinese people are still living below the poverty line. The wide gaps between different population groups, cities and rural areas and eastern and western regions are all problems plaguing our country and society, along with lower quality and efficiency of development, poor innovation ability and issues in a range of sectors, including employment, education, medical services, housing and pensions.
Given China’s huge population, any remarkable achievement is dwarfed if divided by 1.3 billion, and any tiny issue becomes titanic when multiplied by that much.
The world population was 7.6 billion in 2017, of which the population of Chinese mainland is about 1.39 billion, accounting for 18.29% of the global total. Last year, the world's GDP totaled about 81 trillion US dollars, with China contributing about 12.25 trillion US dollars, or 15.12% of the global total. The two percentages imply China's GDP per capita is still below the global average.
So here arises a predicament: although China has the world’s second-largest GDP, its GDP per capita in 2017 ranks 70th among the more than 220 countries and regions covered in the list, due to its large population base.
The report to the 19th CPC National Congress said the basic dimension of the Chinese context – that our country is still and will long remain in the primary stage of socialism – has not changed. China’s international status as the world’s largest developing country has not changed.
Industrialization is an essential stage in the development of human civilization. As a major developing country, China has a strong and urgent demand for further industrialization, hence industrialization remains a tough historic task in our process of modernization.
History reveals disorderly advancement of industrialization will lead to industrial crisis and even civilization dilemma. Yet the idea of an ecological civilization advocates the “ecologicalization” of economic activities, which will effectively overcome drawbacks in traditional industrialization modes.
Industrialization cannot stall, but ecological civilization building can brook no delay, either. The two must advance together and foster benign interaction. Today, the new historical proposition of "Building a beautiful China" is putting forward higher requirements for an ecological civilization and sustainable development, and has become a consensus of the whole society in China.
Second, I believe ecological civilization building depends on improvement of citizens’ scientific literacy.
The ecological civilization is a form of human civilization that emphasizes consciousness and self-discipline from human beings, and interdependent, harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. The biggest characteristic of ecological civilization building is its need for public recognition and participation. Vigorous promotion of the scientific spirit and improvement of citizens' scientific literacy are strong methods to boost public recognition and participation.
What is the scientific spirit? It is the general name for the common beliefs, values and codes of conduct that people develop in long-term scientific practice. It is worth stressing scientific spirit is not exclusive to scientists. Any advanced, civilized society needs a scientific spirit to nourish public consciousness.
For instance, we regard medieval Europe as poor, backward and ignorant. People at that time attributed natural forces to demons or angels, leaving themselves in anxiety and fear. After the Renaissance, there came the Enlightenment with a core of rationalism.
The rise of reason and science in the Enlightenment fueled European countries’ transformation from religious theocracies to secular societies, beginning their 400-year process of modernization. Today, Europe has become a model for the world in ecological civilization building.
I think we would all agree promoting the scientific spirit is essential for China and the world at large in ecological civilization building. We should try to fully understand the necessity, complexity and difficulty of carrying forward this spirit, and know that it will be a long-term task.
Last but not least, I would like to introduce the newspaper I work for, Science and Technology Daily, probably the only newspaper focused on science and technology in the world.
As chief editor, what I think about most every day is how to put into practice the purpose of the newspaper – promoting the scientific spirit – in each issue.
If there is something most likely to be exchanged between different countries today, I’d say it is science and technology. Any scientific discovery and technological invention can transcend the barriers of ideology, politics, religion or culture and become the common wealth of all mankind. This law is independent of man’s will. In this sense, Science and Technology Daily can create exchanges and cooperation between China and other countries by leveraging its unique advantages and pushing forward ecological civilization building.
Science and Technology Daily has provided objective and influential coverages of important issues concerning all human beings such as the signing of the Paris Agreement, and the global effort against the climate change, including the work of China. To some extent, this coverage has effectively promoted ecological civilization building and the implementation of China’s sustainable development strategy.
We at Science and Technology Daily will enhance coverage of countermeasures against global climate change. We hope to win more readers and friends, and help build a beautiful home for mankind together!
Thank you very much!
女士们先生们，下午好！
我很荣幸来到卡托维茨，作为“未来地球中国国家委员会”指导委员会委员，在联合国气候变化公约会议COP24工作组会议上发言。
首先，我想谈谈生态文明建设与可持续发展的关系。
生态文明是可持续发展战略向人们昭示的一种崭新的价值取向，是人类面对全球生态危机做出的理性选择。中国政府高度重视生态文明建设。
改革开放40年来，中国经济获得了空前的发展，但粗放的发展方式也让中国在资源环境方面付出沉重代价，积累了大量生态环境问题。“不平衡、不充分的发展”实事求是、恰如其分地概括了今天的中国国情。
我们的民生领域还有不少短板，脱贫攻坚任务艰巨。我们仍有4000多万同胞在贫困线以下生活。较大的群体差别、城乡差别、东西部差别无时不在困扰着我们的国家和社会。此外，发展质量和效益不高，创新能力不强；群众在就业、教育、医疗、居住、养老等方面还面临很多难题。
还应该认识到，中国是一个人口大国，再大的成绩被13亿这个除数一除，就变得眇乎小哉；再小的问题被13亿这个乘数一乘，就变得硕大无朋。
世界人口2017年已达76亿，其中中国大陆人口约为13.9亿，占全球的比重约为18.29%。去年全世界GDP约为81万亿美元，中国的GDP约为12.25万亿美元，占全球比重约为15.12%。18.29%和15.12%这两个百分比告诉我们，中国人均GDP目前还低于全球平均水平。
由于人口基数大，虽然中国GDP全球第二，但人均GDP仅居世界中游。在2017年全球220多个国家和地区的人均GDP排行榜上，中国是第70名。
正如中国共产党十九大报告中指出的，“我国仍处于并将长期处于社会主义初级阶段的基本国情没有变，我国是世界最大发展中国家的国际地位没有变”。
工业化是人类文明发展过程中的一个不可逾越的阶段。中国作为发展中大国，继续推进工业化的诉求不仅强烈而且迫切。工业化当前仍然是中国现代化进程中艰巨的历史任务。
然而，历史规律表明，工业化的无序推进将导致工业危机甚至文明困境。而生态文明主张经济活动生态化，它将有效克服传统工业化模式的弊端。
工业化不可停滞，生态文明建设又不容延误。生态文明建设必须与工业化进程并进，实现良性互动。今天， “建设美丽中国”这一新的历史命题，对生态文明和可持续发展提出了新的更高的要求，在中国已经成为全社会的共识。
其次，我认为生态文明建设有赖于公民科学素养的提升。
生态文明是人类文明的一种形式，这种文明强调人的自觉和自律，强调人与自然环境的互相依存，和谐共处。生态文明建设的最大特点，就是需要公众的广泛认知和积极参与。大力弘扬科学精神，提升公民科学素养正是促进这一进程的强大推动力。
科学精神是人们在长期的科学实践活动中形成的共同信念、价值标准和行为规范的总称。需要强调的是，科学精神绝非只有科学家才需要。任何一个先进、文明社会的公众意识都离不开科学精神的滋养。
举一个例子。中世纪的欧洲贫困、落后、愚昧。那时候的欧洲人把自然界许多无法理解、不可控制的自然力量，都归因于魔鬼或天使，因而常常感到焦虑、恐惧和不安。文艺复兴以后，欧洲又爆发了启蒙运动。启蒙运动的核心是理性主义，科学随之兴起。科学兴起的结果是祛魅。从此以后，欧洲人的世界观焕然一新。
正是由于启蒙运动中的理性崇拜和科学兴起，直接推动欧洲国家从宗教神权社会转型为世俗社会，并开启了它四百年的现代化历程。如今的欧洲在生态文明建设上已经成为全世界的楷模。
弘扬科学精神对于中国乃至全球生态文明建设是不可或缺的。我们应该充分认识弘扬科学精神的必要性、复杂性、艰巨性和长期性。
最后，我想介绍一下我所供职的媒体《科技日报》。或许这是世界上唯一一份以科技为主题的日报。作为总编辑，我每天考虑最多的是如何把弘扬科学精神的办报宗旨，落实到这份报纸的字里行间。
如果说有什么东西最容易在不同国家之间交流，无疑那就是科技。
任何一项科学发现和技术发明，最终都能超越意识形态、政治制度和宗教文化的藩篱，成为全人类共同的财富，这是不以人的意志为转移的。从这个意义上讲，《科技日报》能够以自己独特的优势为中国与世界各国的交流与合作，以及推动生态文明建设发挥桥梁和纽带作用。
过去三十多年里，关于全球气候变化等人类共同面临的重大议题，《科技日报》对联合国《巴黎气候变化协定》的签署、以及全世界包括中国为应对气候变化做出的努力等，都做了客观而富有影响力的报道，有效地促进了中国生态文明建设和可持续发展战略的实施。
今后，《科技日报》还会进一步加强应对全球气候变化的报道。我们希望在共建人类美丽家园的进程中赢得更多的读者和朋友！
谢谢！