To set an example of best practice in environmental management, the Organising Committee for the 20th Anniversary Symposium proudly presents the Carbon Mitigation Reforestation Programme at Yinggeling Nature Reserve in Hainan Island, China, in order to offset the carbon generated by the Symposium and Anniversary Dinner.

Yinggeling has a size of 504.6km² and is a biodiversity hotspot of global significance.  It is Hainan’s largest terrestrial nature reserve and has the largest patch of primary tropical rainforest in South China.

The carbon mitigation programme aims to plant 500 seedlings of native trees at the peripheral area of the rainforest.  The peripheral area has been degraded to fire-maintained grassland over the years.  Reforestation at these areas will help reduce pressure of soil erosion and degradation of the rainforest.

Calculations have been made and it is estimated that all carbon generated from activities related to our Symposium and Anniversary Dinner can be offset through this programme.  These activities include:

Although this programme is currently not a recognized carbon accredited project, the Organising Committee wants to demonstrate best practice of sustainability:  partnership and integrated consideration of aspects.  The quality of the reforestation programme at Yinggeling is overseen by a local environmental NGO based in Hong Kong, the Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, and the execution of the planting will be carried out by the local staff of the Nature Reserve who are all local ethnic minority villagers from the surrounding community. By sponsoring the reforestation programme, we hope to bring both ecological and socio-economic well-beings to this important piece of primary rainforest in Hainan Island.