Zhong Chongjun, deputy director-general of the Department of Territorial Space Ecological Restoration at China's Ministry of Natural Resources, discusses the challenges facing marine carbon sink development. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Conference on Blue Carbon and Innovation was held in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian province, from May 26 to 27.

Organized by National Marine Hazard Mitigation Service at China's Ministry of Natural Resources, Fujian Provincial Department of Ocean and Fisheries, and BlueSeeds, the conference aimed to deepen China-Europe cooperation, advance pilot projects on marine carbon sequestration, and promote the establishment of a monitoring network for the East Asian Seas.

Zhong Chongjun, deputy director-general of the Department of Territorial Space Ecological Restoration at China's Ministry of Natural Resources, said that China will strengthen the management of marine carbon sinks across the entire value chain and roll out pilot accounting programs in coastal provinces and cities.

Yan Zhihuang, director of the Fujian Provincial Department of Ocean and Fisheries, highlighted Fujian's recent blue carbon achievements, including China's first mangrove afforestation carbon sink project registered under the China Certified Emission Reduction (CCER) program.

Bart van der Meer, counselor at the Delegation of the European Union to China, says that greater efforts are needed to harmonize standards for carbon sink accounting. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Bart van der Meer, counselor at the Delegation of the European Union to China, said that, as long-term partners, China and the EU can further strengthen collaboration through biodiversity funding programs and policy dialogue mechanisms, while promoting wider awareness of blue carbon.