On May 16, 2025, the “China–Netherlands Biodiversity Seminar” was successfully held in Beijing in a hybrid format. The event was co-hosted by the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in China, under the guidance of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature of the Netherlands. With the theme “Protection Practices and Prospects for Action after COP16,” the event seminar brought together nearly 60 representatives from both countries, including government officials, researchers, business leaders, and international organizations.
Chen Sheng, Vice President of the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, chaired the opening session. This was followed by discussions on national biodiversity strategies and action plans, during which representatives from China and the Netherlands shared policy experiences in implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity. The seminar then turned to key areas of biodiversity, where experts from Chinese and Dutch research institutions engaged in in-depth exchanges on ecological protection and sustainable development.
On the business side, Friesland Campina China and Beijing Organic and Beyond Corporation shared innovative models in ecological protection and carbon reduction.
At the international level, representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Environmental Programme, the World-Wide Fund for Nature, and the World Resources Institute participated both online and in person to explore global biodiversity governance.
In his closing remarks, Liu Ning highlighted that the seminar had established a “policy–research–practice” platform to energize post-COP16 action. Erik Smidt, Agricultural Counsellor at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in China, reaffirmed ongoing cooperation in policy exchange and technology transfer to address ecological challenges, emphasizing the importance of international collaboration in biodiversity protection.
Held on the eve of the International Day for Biological Diversity, the seminar convened representatives from over twenty institutions. Their diverse perspectives enriched scientific understanding and built a broad consensus on turning shared goals into practical action, laying a solid foundation for future cooperation between Chinese and Dutch stakeholders in the field of biodiversity.
