Ningbo showcases 'blue power' at COP28

A delegation from Ningbo, Zhejiang province shared the city's progress in blue carbon trading to ensure its sustainable development on the sidelines of the United Nations climate meeting in Dubai on Dec 3.

Ningbo boasts abundant marine resources. The carbon storage of its sea area is 3.74 million metric tons, with an annual increase of 113,600 tons.

Ningbo has implemented policies to boost the blue carbon economy. It has created four tasks to enhance the carbon sequestration capacity of the marine ecosystem: marine carbon credit research, ecological protection and restoration, integration of marine carbon credit with industries, and launch of pilot projects.

To protect its blue carbon resources, Ningbo has also launched various measures, including water treatment, retrofits of sewage treatment plants, and reducing water pollution at ports, in shipbuilding and repair, and in marine farming industries.

As a result, Ningbo's marine resources have been transformed into a "green bank". In February, 2,340 tons of blue carbon credits were auctioned off in the city's Xiangshan county. It was also China's first blue carbon credit auction.

"Ningbo is looking forward to deeper collaboration with cities around the world to tackle climate problems," said You Wuwei, deputy secretary general of the Ningbo Municipal People's government in his keynote speech at the China Pavilion side event during the 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 28) in Dubai.

You said that Ningbo aspires to be an "internationally leading, domestically pioneering" city in utilizing its marine ecosystem to achieve carbon neutrality.