Along the coast of Fujian province, mangroves and tidal salt marshes take root in tidal flats, seagrass meadows provide habitat for diverse marine life, and coastal ecosystems quietly contribute to climate change regulation. Marine organisms account for roughly half of global primary production, underscoring the ocean's fundamental role in the global carbon cycle. Within this broader system, blue carbon refers to carbon stored in marine and coastal ecosystems, particularly in the vegetation and sediments of mangroves, tidal salt marshes, and seagrass meadows. As a major maritime nation, China is advancing blue carbon conservation and sustainable development through scientific research, ecosystem restoration, institutional innovation, and international cooperation.
Understanding the value of blue carbon
Mangroves, tidal salt marshes, and seagrass meadows are highly productive coastal ecosystems that capture carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and accumulate organic carbon in plant biomass and underlying sediments. Their carbon stocks per unit area can exceed those of many terrestrial forests, although the extent of this difference varies by ecosystem type, location, and measurement method. Beyond their role in carbon sequestration and storage, these ecosystems provide essential habitats for marine species, support fisheries and coastal livelihoods, help protect shorelines from erosion and storm impacts, and contribute to biodiversity conservation and coastal resilience.
China has built a strong foundation in blue carbon research. As early as the 1980s, Academician Lin Peng of Xiamen University and his team began systematic research on mangrove ecology, laying a solid scientific foundation for conservation, restoration, and methodological development. China has also accumulated extensive practical experience in restoring blue carbon ecosystems. At Xiatanwei Mangrove Park in Xiamen, the restoration of hydrological processes and improvement of tidal-flat conditions have helped reconnect mangroves, unvegetated mudflats, tidal channels, and shallow waters into an interconnected wetland ecosystem, gradually restoring its natural structure and functions.
These practices reflect China's commitment to a holistic approach to blue carbon conservation that goes beyond carbon alone. They recognize the connectivity and integrity of marine ecosystems and emphasize the coordination of conservation priorities, science-based restoration, and sustainable use.
From scientific research to institutional innovation: Making ecological value visible
Although China began developing its blue carbon institutions and market applications relatively recently, significant progress has been made in recent years. An initial framework is now taking shape, linking fundamental research, resource surveys, and ecological monitoring with technical standards, national methodologies, ecological restoration, and market transactions.
After three comprehensive national wetland surveys, China has mapped the distribution patterns and areas of mangroves, tidal salt marshes, and seagrass beds. In 2021, the Ministry of Natural Resources launched pilot surveys and assessments of carbon stocks in these three types of ecosystems across 16 representative areas, laying the foundation for establishing a national blue carbon monitoring system.
In 2021, Xiamen University completed China's first independently developed methodology for trading blue carbon from mangroves. In 2023, the Ministry of Natural Resources introduced the Method for Accounting Marine Carbon Sinks, China's first comprehensive industry standard for marine carbon sink accounting. That same year, China published a methodology for mangrove afforestation under its China Certified Emission Reduction (CCER) scheme. In 2025, methodologies for vegetation restoration in tidal salt marshes and seagrass meadows followed.
As a result, all three major types of coastal blue carbon ecosystems now have methodological foundations for integration with the CCER mechanism. This represents a significant step forward in China's systematic efforts to bring blue carbon into a national market-based framework.
In March 2026, a mangrove vegetation restoration project jointly developed by the Third Institute of Oceanography of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the People's Government of Xiapu County was officially registered. It became the first registered CCER project in China's marine sector, marking the transition of blue carbon from local trading initiatives into the country's unified voluntary emission reduction trading system.
From Fujian to the world: Sharing China's experience with more countries
In response to global ocean and climate challenges, Fujian is building on its strengths in marine science and ecological restoration to deepen international cooperation and jointly explore effective pathways for sustainable blue carbon development.
Since 2019, Xiamen University has successively carried out scientific research cooperation on mangrove ecology and the sister-station arrangement with Khulna University in Bangladesh, the Indonesian Science and Innovation Agency, and IPB University in Indonesia. In 2026, the Coastal SOS–Thailand, a sub-project of Coastal SOS led by Xiamen University and endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, was launched in Thailand, in cooperation with Thailand's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. The collaborations advance blue carbon research through co-design, joint observation, collaborative research, co-training, and joint contributions to governance.
These partnerships are not about transplanting a fixed set of Chinese standards. Instead, they focus on jointly developing methodologies suited to local ecological characteristics and governance needs, nurturing local talent, and identifying context-specific solutions. This approach strengthens countries' own capacities to conserve and govern blue carbon ecosystems.
Enabling the blue economy and nature conservation to thrive together
From restoring coastal blue carbon ecosystems to establishing accounting standards and advancing international scientific cooperation, China's blue carbon practices are charting a course that integrates ecological benefits, economic development, and global collaboration.
Looking ahead, China will continue to ground its efforts in science and build on cooperation to advance synergies among climate action, biodiversity conservation, and a sustainable blue economy. Meanwhile, Xiamen, Fujian, is actively pursuing its bid to host the secretariat of the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), seeking to provide an open and collaborative platform for global ocean governance.
From coastal ecosystem restoration to the development of international institutional frameworks, China is translating its commitment to ocean conservation into practical action, contributing Chinese insights and solutions to global ocean governance and sustainable development.
Dai Minhan, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is the Tan Kah Kee chair professor of marine environmental science at Xiamen University and also serves as the director of Fujian Ocean Innovation Center. His research spans marine biogeochemistry, marine technology innovation, and the science-policy interface, with a particular focus on advancing sustainable ocean development.
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