The annual carbon sink capacity of China’s forests and grasslands has exceeded 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, ranking first in the world, an official said Wednesday.
A carbon sink is an element that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits. Forests and grasslands are typical carbon sinks.
China has set ambitious targets of peaking carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, playing a leading role in the global fight against climate change.
China’s unavoidable carbon emissions are expected to reach about 2.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2060, more than half of which will be absorbed by forests and grasslands, making a significant contribution to carbon neutrality, said Guo Qingjun, an official with the State Forestry and Grassland Administration.
To increase the capacity of carbon sinks, China will work to expand the area of forests and grasslands while stepping up efforts to protect these resources, Guo said at a press conference on ecological conservation and restoration on the eve of National Ecology Day.
Last year, China’s top legislature voted to designate August 15 as National Ecology Day, in a bid to raise public awareness and encourage action to protect the ecological environment.
