United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (rear R) convenes the virtual Sustainable Development Goals Moment 2020 at the UN headquarters in New York, on Sept. 18, 2020. (Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- China has released the 2020 edition of its report titled "Big Earth Data in Support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)," presenting the country's exploration and practice of using science and technology innovation to help meet the goals of UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The report, released during the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, covers China's measures in areas such as biodiversity conservation, the sustainable development of Chinese cities and towns, wetlands protection, and coastal ecosystem evaluation. It includes 26 typical cases and proposes 24 sets of data products, 13 models and 19 supporting programs.

The first edition of the report was issued in September 2019 by the Chinese delegation to the 74th session of the UN General Assembly, focusing on the use of big Earth data to help accomplish the sustainable development goals, as laid out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Photo taken on May 4, 2020 shows the wetland in Pasum Village at the foot of Mount Qomolangma, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Purbu Zhaxi)

Guo Huadong, director of China's big Earth data project, said that a theoretical system to boost the achievement of SDGs using big Earth data has now been created, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has built a platform to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through science and technology innovation.

He noted that the 2020 edition of the report is expected to contribute to the implementation of the UN agenda and promotion of the Belt and Road construction.

Zhang Yaping, vice-president of the CAS, said that its big Earth data science project is a significant achievement of China's efforts to fulfill the SDGs through science and technology, providing solutions and scientific support for the effective implementation of the UN sustainable development agenda. ■