Contributing to Beautiful China Initiative
Promoting Harmony Between Humanity and Nature
BMW “Beautiful Homeland-Crane Wonderland” Bird Hide Successfully Completed

(Panjin) On November 4th, the “BMW Beautiful Homeland Initiative” Bird Hide Opening Ceremony was held at the Liaoning Liaohekou National Nature Reserve. The event was jointly organized by BMW China Automotive Trading Ltd, BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd, and China Green Foundation. A series of latest deliverables of the BMW Beautiful Homeland Initiative program were released at the event.

Dr. Franz Decker, President and CEO of BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. unveiled the Bird Hide named “Beautiful Homeland-Crane Wonderland” together with Mr. Wei Diansheng, Vice Chairman of China Green Foundation, and Mr. Xu Tonglian, Vice Mayor of Panjin People’s Municipal Government. The event organizers launched three public-oriented nature education courses which were also donated to the China Science and Technology Museum and Panjin wetland schools, as well as a set of biodiversity-inspired souvenirs. At Home in China, BMW China and BMW Brilliance are actively fulfilling the promises to support Liaohekou National Nature Reserve with an innovative package plan, contributing to the Beautiful China Initiative and biodiversity conservation, and promoting harmony between humanity and nature. At the COP14 to be held in Wuhan on November 5th, Panjin will be officially awarded the title of “International Wetland City” by the Standing Committee of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, becoming the only city in Liaoning Province to receive this honor, and one of the 43 wetland cities worldwide. The BMW Beautiful Homeland Initiative with its innovative deliverables is a gift contributing to the ecological civilization of Liaoning Province.

Mr. Wei Dianshang, Vice Chairman of China Green Foundation stated, “BMW Beautiful Homeland Initiative will contribute to improving public awareness of biodiversity conservation, and is a strong proof of BMW China and BMW Brilliance fulfilling corporate social responsibility with concrete actions and making positive contribution to China’s public welfare course. The 20th CPC National Congress has drawn a new blueprint for China’s ecological civilization construction, which has also directed a new path forward for China’s forestry and grassland industry. China Green Foundation will carry out Congress spirit in an all-round way and take proactive actions based on President Xi’s strategic thinking, which is “ecology thrives when forestry and grassland industry thrives, civilization is boosted only if ecology is boosted.” We will take advantage of our leadership in the industry to continue working on mobilizing the whole society to participate in environment protection for public good centered on our major working focuses. We hope to gather all social sectors and work together to build a Beautiful China in our path towards a high-quality, green development with Chinese characteristics. Our ultimate goal is to promote harmony between humanity and nature and build a beautiful homeland shared by all.”

Mr. Goller, President and CEO of BMW Group Region China said, “Sustainability and circular economy are cornerstones of our BMW Group corporate strategy. In this context, we believe biodiversity conservation is one critical element for sustainable development, and with this becomes a responsibility of BMW Group as a corporate citizen. Based on our At Home in China approach, we hope our BMW Beautiful Homeland Initiative can contribute to biodiversity conservation and the construction of a beautiful China, and ultimately play a significant role in promoting high-quality and sustainable development here in China.”

Dr. Franz Decker, President & CEO of BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. said, “At BMW Brilliance, we view the environment as a key stakeholder in our business. We are fully aligned with the BMW Group sustainability targets. With the BMW Beautiful Homeland Initiative, we aim to shine a light on the beauty and importance of biodiversity through a series of public education initiatives, like this new Bird Hide. In taking action also beyond the factory gates, we are contributing not only to socio-economic development in Liaoning province, but also to its ecological conservation, for a beautiful homeland shared by all.”

China attaches great importance to biodiversity conservation, emphasizing that “Chinese modernization is the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature. Nature is the foundation for human survival and development. Respecting, adapting to, and protecting nature is essential for building China into a modern socialist country in all respects. We must uphold and act on the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and we must remember to maintain harmony between humanity and nature when planning our development.”

BMW Group views the environment as an important stakeholder. “BMW Beautiful Homeland Initiative” program since its launch has been committed to contributing to China’s biodiversity conservation and ecological civilization, which is now a strong response to the call of the 20th CPC National Congress for “maintaining harmony between humanity and nature in the path towards modernization” and “pushing forward Beautiful China Initiative”.

Both the Bird Hide and the biodiversity-inspired souvenirs launched at the event are designed by the Academy of Design & Arts, Tsinghua University, who has been responsible for the design of the “Red ribbon” landscape of Tiananmen Square for the 70th anniversary of National day. The Bird hide is built with a low profile, naturally integrated into the surroundings. The design and construction show great respect “for nature, environment and wildlife”, no disturbance to local animals, no damage to local ecological landscapes. It is not just a building for nature observation, but also a place for biodiversity education among BMW stakeholders and the public. After an online naming campaign, the Bird Hide is officially named “Beautiful Homeland-Crane Wonderland”, implying a beautiful place where canes and humanity live in harmony with each other. At the same time, the city Panjin where Liao He Kou National Nature Reserve is based, has been called “Crane Homeland” since ancient times. The design of souvenirs is inspired by Liaohekou rare animals red-crowed crane, Saunders’ gull and spotted seal, whose cute images can easily arouse public concern for animals. The three nature education courses themed “Biodiversity and Wetland Protection”, “Travel of Red-Crowned Cranes”, and “Wild Animals Around Us” respectively, are the first set of biodiversity-themed courses funded and developed by an automotive manufacturer in China. The courses will be donated to the China Science and Technology Museum and Panjin wetland schools. The aim is to publicize biodiversity to the public in an entertaining way and to support biodiversity education.

China has elevated biodiversity conservation to a national strategy and established a biodiversity conservation mechanism led by the government and participated by enterprises and citizens. The Opinions on Further Strengthening Biodiversity Conservation issued by the State Council on October 19, 2021, clearly pointed out that “it is necessary to enhance awareness and participation of all sectors in biodiversity conservation and create a sound atmosphere for the whole society to participate in the endeavor.” According to a survey by the Worldwide Fund for Nature (China) in 2021, “88% of people in China understand the meaning of air pollution and water pollution. However, only 34% could clearly define biodiversity.”

Changing the mindset and behavior of the public, enterprises and social organizations is fundamental to biodiversity conservation. Hence, the “BMW Beautiful Homeland Initiative” takes public education on biodiversity as the core objective and means. The three latest deliverables will not only directly contribute to biodiversity conservation and ecological civilization of Liaohekou, but also help further publicize biodiversity education and promote harmony between humanity and nature.

The Liaoning Liaohekou National Nature Reserve, located at the mouth of Liaohe River in Liaodong Bay, is an important wetland ecosystem in China. It provides a suitable habitat for a variety of wild animals, including 304 species of birds, among which 24 species under first-class national protection and 54 species under second-class national protection. The Reserve is an important stopping place for nearly a million waterfowl every year, including more than 500 red-crowned cranes, a North-South migrant. It is also a breeding ground for the world’s largest population of black-billed gulls, the number of which is 12,000. Therefore, it is also renowned as a “Home of Saunders’ Gulls in China”.

At home in China, BMW Group China continues to create value for the customer, local society, and industry for mutual growth. BMW believes that a responsible business has its sights set beyond sales and profit, and instead puts more focus on engaging stakeholders to jointly address social issues and contribute to local communities. Closely following and with deep insights into the Chinese government and society’s major social agendas, BMW CSR targets three social issues—Culture Protection, Social Development and Environmental Protection—to continuously contribute to a better Chinese society through four flagship projects—BMW China Culture Journey, BMW Children’s Traffic Safety Education, BMW JOY Home, and BMW Beautiful Homeland Initiative.