CCICED and WWF jointly issued the Report on Ecological Footprint in China on June 10. Co-sponsored by CCICED and WWF, this Report was jointly completed by Global Ecological Footprint Network and Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resource of Chinese Academy of Sciences. It unveils an overview of the factors that determine China’s growing ecological deficit beginning in mid-1970s, showing innovative paths for China to achieve its development goals in a sustainable way that ensures the future generations have the natural resources they need to prosper.

The analysis in this report finds that people of China today have an ecological footprint of 1.6 global hectares per person in 2003, which means each individual needs 1.6 hectares of biologically productive land to support their lifestyle demands. The figure is still lower than the world average of 2.2 global hectares per person, ranking China the 69th of the 147 nations measured that year, but still reflecting major challenge confronting China. The Report said, the per capita ecological footprint of China has increased by two times since 1960s.

Mr. Zhu Guangyao, Secretary General of CCICED, Mr. Shen Guofang, the Chinese Chief Advisor and Mr. Dermot O’Gorman, the Chief Representative of WWF in China attended the briefing.