First International Symposium on Bamboo as a Substitute for Plastic

A recording of these remarks can be found on YouTube and Tencent.

Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me start by complimenting His Excellency, Ali Mchumo, the Director General of the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization (INBAR), for his leadership in guiding INBAR into a best-in-class organization. 

I would like to thank the hosts of the Symposium, INBAR and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China, for providing a venue to explore solutions to the worldwide plastic problem.

On 6 November 1997, China, along with Bangladesh, Canada, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Peru, the Philippines and the United Republic of Tanzania, formally established INBAR as an independent intergovernmental organization with a global mandate to promote the development of bamboo and rattan in ways that are beneficial to people and the environment. 

INBAR's development into an international organization represents a "first" in the development community, especially in relation to Non-wood forest products. The mission of the new INBAR is to develop, provide and promote appropriate technologies and other bamboo and rattan solutions to benefit people and the environment. The organization aims to enhance the quality of life of poor and disadvantaged people in developing countries and to improve the state of forests and degraded environments. The focus of INBAR's operational framework is on economic self-reliance, poverty alleviation and sustainable development.

One of the primary focuses of UN engagement with China is developing and reinforcing partnerships for the accomplishment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in line with national development priorities.

Similarly, the UN has worked closely with INBAR, which serves as an Observer to the UN General Assembly, the three Rio Conventions, the UN Economic and Social Council, and the UN Conference on Trade and Development. Further, UN specialized agencies such as IFAD, FAO, UNIDO, UNOSSC, and UNEP have actively interacted with INBAR to advance the SDGs. 

Over the past 50 years, billions of tons of plastics have ended up in landfills or been thrown in natural areas, with severe repercussions on land and aquatic ecosystems. 

According to the latest study from UNEP, we are now manufacturing over 400 million tonnes of plastics each year, of which two-thirds are short-lived products which soon become rubbish, and a growing number become waste after only one single use. 

Realistically, we cannot remove plastics entirely, but we may deliberately minimize their consumption with more sustainable alternative materials. 

Last year, China and INBAR co-launched the Bamboo as a Substitute for Plastic Initiative, which aims to employ bamboo to minimize plastic pollution and solve climate change.The Initiative forms part of the Global Development Initiative, which has the aim to expedite the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Our gathering today builds on these efforts in support of the SDGs.

Bamboo is a viable solution to many of the world’s issues, including plastic pollution, climate change and poverty reduction. As a renewable biodegradable resource extensively available in the Global South, it can be a potential alternative green material, capable of bringing both livelihood and environmental benefits. With recent technological breakthroughs, many bamboo goods can now be swapped for plastics, from chopsticks, tableware and kitchenware, composites, toothbrushes and single-use plastics to plastic pipework. Furthermore, bamboo forests can give a wide range of environmental advantages in the fight against climate change.

Today's Symposium proves that we can make important efforts to develop a shared vision for a better world in which nature plays a major role as we achieve the SDGs.

I wish the rest of the event a great success.

Thank you.