After World War II, plastic began to be mass-produced and entered human life.  At present, plastic pollution has become one of the biggest environmental challenges facing human society, and together with global climate change and other issues, it seriously threatens the human living environment.  Statistics show that as much as 12 million tonnes of plastic waste ends up in the oceans each year and this is expected to triple by 2040.  In April, the UN Secretary-General warned in a video message for International Mother Earth Day that Earth was facing a "triple planetary crisis" including pollution, putting the Sustainable Development Goals at risk.

The most important way to reduce plastic pollution as much as possible is to strengthen the recycling and reuse of plastic products.  At present,China and other countries have made great efforts to this end. In addition, a new way of life that reduces the use of plastic should be developed to reduce the proportion of plastic products in people's lives, so that people can choose greener materials to replace plastic products.  As a green, low-carbon, and degradable biomass material, bamboo can directly replace some non-biodegradable plastic products in many fields such as packaging and building materials.  "Replacing plastic with bamboo" can increase the proportion of green bamboo products used and reduce plastic pollution.

China has a bamboo forest area of 7.01 million hectares, ranking first in the world in terms of bamboo resources, area, and stock volume.  It is the country with the richest bamboo resources and the largest bamboo industry in the world.  The initiative of "replacing plastic with bamboo" is also a manifestation of China's commitment to the green development concept of "Lucian waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets"." Replacing plastic with bamboo" can not only improve the ecological environment, but also drive the transformation and upgrading of the bamboo industry, promote the economic development of areas rich in bamboo resources, and help rural revitalization.

Therefore, the launch of the "Replace Plastic with Bamboo" initiative, an excellent nature-based sustainable development program, will provide new ideas and wisdom for the global treatment of plastic pollution.  The Chinese government has joined hands with the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization to implement the Global Development Initiative and encourage countries to reduce plastic pollution and address climate change, which is a positive step towards accelerating the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  As President Xi Jinping emphasized in his congratulatory letter, China is vigorously promoting the construction of ecological civilization and actively practicing the development concept of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. We will continue to work with other parties to build a community of human and natural life, and jointly build a clean and beautiful home for future generations.