China

HSBC and WWF have been working together in the Yangtze river basin for many years, nominally with the five-year Yangtze Programme as part of Investing in Nature. Many goals were accomplished and relationships built – these will be utilised in the next five years to address issues in the entire Yangtze river basin.

The second phase aims to reduce the impacts of climate change on people and livelihoods by promoting action in target cities and along the Yangtze itself. The programme will influence national policy, conduct on-the-ground demonstration projects and utilise and increase communication channels.

Specific goals of the programme include:

• Ecosystem connection or reconnection;
• Freshwater dolphin conservation;
• Effective management of wetland networks;
• Showcase a healthy wetland ecosystem;
• Advise and catalyse specific cities to become models that demonstrate how cities can reduce their CO₂ emissions;
• Develop a CEPA (communication, education, public awareness) approach for reducing the impact of climate change;
• Demonstrate policy recommendations at the national government level.

Planned actions:

• Demonstrate social, economic and environmental benefits of re-linking lakes and wetlands to the Yangtze;
• Initiate freshwater dolphin conservation;
• Establish a wetland conservation network to manage effectively 3,000 square kilometres (1,100 square miles) of wetlands;
• Protect suburban water sources especially in Shanghai;
• Promote eco-fisheries in floodplain lakes;
• Establish the Yangtze Estuary Partnership to manage the estuary and to build protection against climate change;
• Develop a wetland management training course;
• Support four cities to demonstrate different kinds of energy efficiency, beginning with Shanghai;
• Undertake a climate change vulnerability assessment of the Yangtze to help decision-makers plan for the future of the river;
• Policy advocacy at all levels of Chinese government.