Huatai Securities Co., Ltd. (SHA: 601688; HKG: 6886; HTSC.LI; Huatai Securities or the Company) announced that its ecological conservation project “Yixin Huatai – One Yangtze River” has been selected as a global model and benchmark for the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)’s “100+ Biodiversity Positive Practices and Actions Around the World” call to action.
“The ‘One Yangtze River'” project is a prime example for exploring ways to bring biodiversity into the mainstream and to avoid future ‘black swan’ events. The project sets precedence for greater cooperation and communication between environmental agencies and the financial market and lays the foundation for bridging ESG concepts with biodiversity conservation,” said Liu Ning, Chief Negotiator of the Chinese delegation to COP15.
Stalwart Protector of the Yangtze River
Established in 2018, the One Yangtze River Project was an active step by Huatai Securities to address the urgent need for greater public awareness and charitable donations for the ecological conservation of the Yangtze River basin area. Even today, traditional sectors such as medical and health care, poverty alleviation, education and rural revitalization receive more charitable donations than ecological and environmental causes. For example, during the 2021 “99 Giving Day” campaign, traditional sectors received RMB 4.153 billion while ecological and environmental sectors received only RMB 65 million yuan, according to Yishan Statistics – further highlighting the need for more environmental support.
Over the years, the Company has fostered the development of the One Yangtze River Project and established over 2,000km2 of community-based protected area in the Yangtze River basin. The Company has also entered strategic partnerships with the Shan Shui Conservation Center, Peking University, and other environmental institutions by installing over 400 infrared cameras in the region to support their scientific research and conservation efforts – bridging the significant knowledge gap in China’s environmental protection field. Huatai Securities also jointly launched the “One Yangtze River Wildlife Conservation Microfund” with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to provide funds to NGOs for the conservation of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The microfund has contributed to 11 protection projects involving 13 local teams, including Fudan University, and identified 11 representative species of the Yangtze River Basin area, including Yangtze Finless Porpoise and Chinese pangolin.
The Public has the Power for True Change
Huatai Securities’ efforts to boost biodiversity research originate from the understanding that public participation and support are needed to achieve actual change. In 2014, the National Ecological Awareness survey highlighted that 74.8% of the public agreed that building an ecological civilization was important but indicated an overall lack of understanding and channels for public participation. To help address the problem, the Company initiated its Citizen Scientists Program, providing an open platform for public participation and discussion in environmental research and surveys, wildlife observations, conservation lectures and more. The Citizen Scientists Program has hosted a series of events in China’s first-tier cities and central cities in the Yangtze River basin for over 10,000 participants, injecting fresh impetus into China’s public biodiversity conservation effort.
In 2020, the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic strengthened the public’s call for biodiversity action. In response, Huatai Securities, together with the Amity Foundation, launched the “Back into the wild” campaign to support the Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo. The campaign successfully rallied over 17,000 donors and rescued 510 wild animals. Since then, the Company has continued to explore other mediums such as art exhibitions, carnivals, TikTok and Weibo to galvanize public support. The most recent “OneYangtze River Jingcao Carnival” and “One Yangtze River with Thousands of Cranes” art exhibitions attracted over 1.2 million participants.
The Role of Capital in Mainstreaming Biodiversity
Public welfare and awareness are not the only areas where Huatai Securities has made significant contributions. In December 2020, the Company hosted the inaugural l”One Yangtze River” Sustainable Development Forum in Beijing to encourage communication between the capital market and environmental conservation groups. Leveraging Huatai Securities’ industry-leading position and brand recognition, the forum gathered representatives from the Shanghai Stock Exchange, Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Peking University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with representatives from environment organizations and the financial industry, to jointly explore the role of capital in promoting sustainable development.
“Looking forward, Huatai Securities will continue to give full play to its professional advantages and strengthen responsible investment and green finance innovation. We see the One Yangtze River Project as a conduit and bridge for discussion and deepening partnerships between the regulatory authorities, capital markets, NGOs and the public. The Company will look to strategically invest more resources to contribute to the realization of China’s 2060 Carbon Neutrality pledge and build a society of harmonious coexistence between humankind and nature,” said Zhou Yi, Huatai Securities CEO.