On February 4, 2026, at the invitation of the China Bamboo and Rattan Center (CBRC) and the China Office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNEP-IEMP Director Zhang Linxiu and UNEP-IEMP team participated in the inception meeting of Project on the Sustainable Development of Bamboo Industry and South-South Cooperation. The meeting was opened by the Mr. Daochun Qin (Director General of CBRC), Mr. James George (UNDP Resident Representative), and Mr. Xiaoliang Zhu (Director General of China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges). It introduced the background and work plan of the project, aiming to join forces to promote the sustainable development of the global bamboo industry as a Nature-based Solution and support the implementation of the UN SDGs. UNEP-IEMP contributed our experiences and lessons on bamboo industry development promotion in Kenya and Thailand through South-South cooperation, key Chinese bamboo industry status survey and expressed commitment for joint forces in such cooperation. 

Representatives from relevant organizations such as the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization, and UNESCO also participated in the meeting.