The Center for Blue Carbon Science and Technology of ECNU (hereinafter referred to as the “Blue Carbon Center”) was officially established in the Minhang District, Shanghai Municipality on December 7th.
What is “blue carbon”?
“Blue carbon” refers to the process, activity and mechanism of using marine activities and marine organisms to absorb and fix carbon in the ocean from atmospheric CO2. As the estuarine, coastal and offshore ecosystems represented by salt marshes, mangroves, and seagrass beds have an extremely high carbon burial rate per unit area and long-term and sustainable carbon sequestration capacity, improving the blue carbon function is one of the important approaches to achieve carbon neutrality.
In recent years, ECNU has been actively serving the country's major strategic demands by shouldering responsibility and the mission of the times in scientific research and innovation. The ECNU Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Sciences and the State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research (SKLEC), in actively responding to the national strategic decision on carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, have given full play to their cutting-edge research achievements in estuaries and coastlines and advocated the establishment of the "Blue Carbon Center". With the comprehensive multidisciplinary advantages of ECNU, efforts can be made to realize innovation leadership in respect of the basic theories and key technologies of carbon neutrality, so as to promote emission reduction and respond to climate change, thus promoting the sustainable development of marine resources and environment.
At the opening ceremony, Prof. Tang Jianwu, Director of the “Blue Carbon Center” of ECNU, gave an in-depth interpretation of the background, research methods, and existing blue carbon research progress of the Center. He emphasized that the overall development goal of the Blue Carbon Center is to form the world-class strategic scientific and technological force regarding carbon neutrality, and become a domestically leading blue carbon research highland with international influences, thus providing technical support and talent guarantee for realizing the national strategy of “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality”, and serving the national eco-restoration plan.
Yang Haibo, Director of the Science and Technology Department of ECNU, issued the Letter of Appointment to Academician Jiao Nianzhi, Director of the 1st Scientific Committee of the "Blue Carbon Center" and all members. These members, all from scientific research institutions, management departments and enterprises concerned, would jointly grasp the development direction of the Center and provide decision-making consultation so as to promote industry-university-research collaboration and innovation in blue carbon.
Academician Jiao Nianzhi shared the Global Ocean Negative Carbon Emissions Program (Global-ONCE) as initiated by him for blue carbon research and development, which is one of the international big science plans set within the framework of the UN Ocean Decade Actions and UN Decade. He said that the establishment of the "Blue Carbon Center" would vigorously support the “ONCE Program”.
Zheng Guanghong, the second level Consultant of the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Jin Zuowen, Deputy Director of Taihu East Sea Bureau of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Shi Guoyue, President Assistant of ECNU, and He Qing, Director of SKLEC, jointly unveiled the “Blue Carbon Center”.
At the meeting, members of the 1st Scientific Committee of the Blue Carbon Center and participating experts conducted in-depth discussions and exchanges on the construction and development of the Center, expanded the studies on blue carbon from multiple perspectives, and provided feasible paths for further strengthening international and domestic cooperation.
Source: State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research (SKLEC)
Copy editor: Philip Nash | Editor: Wicky Xu
