During June 3rd-5th, 2025, the “2025 China-Australia Workshop on Environmental Protection and Biodiversity” was organized successfully and fruitfully. The event was hosted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Australian Academy of Science; and organized by the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGSNRR, CAS) and the United Nations Environment Programme - International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP). It took place at the IGSNRR, CAS, in Beijing.
With an overall aim to foster scientific collaboration between Chinese and Australian scientists in the fields of environmental protection and biodiversity conservation, the workshop brought together over 50 participants from almost 20 institutions from both countries. Recognizing that both China and Australia face pressing challenges relating to biodiversity loss and environmental degradation, this workshop served as a platform for sharing latest research findings, best practices, and explore innovative approaches to support the policy development and actions aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. It provided opportunities for scientists to present their work, engage in interdisciplinary dialogue, and establish meaningful scientific partnerships. The workshop co-chairs were Prof. Linxiu Zhang (Director, UNEP-IEMP) and Prof. Alan Andersen (Charles Darwin University).
The group photo of all participants
The joint workshop opened with brief welcoming remarks from Prof. Hongping He, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Prof. Chennupati Jagadish, President of the Australian Academy of Science; and Mr Timothy Sill, Counsellor (Industry, Science, and Resources) of the Australian Embassy in Beijing. All emphasized the importance of collaborative research and shared learning to tackle biodiversity challenges in the face of climate change.
The main part of the event consisted of insightful presentations around the main themes of terrestrial biomes, freshwater biome, marine biome and climate change. Following the presentations, participants actively engaged in discussions with the speakers, delving deeper into the topics covered. The last session was the roundtable discussion on developing joint research and policy recommendations, in which the participants discussed ideas on priorities for future collaborative China-Australia research on biodiversity and its protection, among others.
Prof. Linxiu Zhang and Prof. Alan Andersen Co-chaired the roundtable discussion
At the end of the workshop, Prof. Linxiu Zhang delivered her closing speech that the event was a real feast of scientific knowledge exchange. She thanked all the participants for the lively exchange. She also encouraged everyone to further the cooperation and appreciated the opportunity for UNEP-IEMP to play an important facilitation role.
