At 92, Qu Geping sits in his Beijing home surrounded by mementos of a career that shaped modern China’s environmental policies. From his pivotal role as the first Chinese representative to the United Nations Environment Programme in the 1970s to steering the State Environmental Protection Administration, Qu’s five-decade journey mirrors the nation’s evolving relationship with ecological conservation.
From Diplomacy to Domestic Reform
Qu’s recent conversation with Wang Zhijia, a former UN advisor and longtime collaborator, revealed untold stories of China’s early environmental diplomacy. "We faced skepticism globally," Qu recalled, describing how he advocated for developing nations’ rights during key UN climate negotiations while balancing domestic industrialization needs.
Legacy in Action
Today, Qu’s work lives on through China’s reforestation programs and carbon neutrality pledges. Analysts credit his tenure with establishing critical pollution control frameworks now benefiting 1.4 billion residents. As smog-clearing "blue sky days" become routine in major cities, younger environmentalists visit Qu seeking insights into sustainable development challenges.
