Nation willing to share afforestation successes to combat climate change

China will ramp up efforts to help other developing countries combat climate change and stimulate their economies through improved forest management, a senior Chinese official announced at the ongoing United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP30, on Tuesday.

Li Gao, head of the Chinese delegation to the conference in Belem, Brazil, said the nation would leverage its own afforestation successes to assist others in unlocking the value of forest ecosystems.

Addressing an event held at the COP30 China pavilion, Li, who is also vice-minister of ecology and environment, highlighted a series of measures China has rolled out to tap the potential of forests in conserving water, bringing in economic benefits, boosting grain production, and enhancing carbon sink capacity.

As part of a strategic push to bolster its national ecological security, China has launched a series of large-scale conservation projects, Li said. These include the flagship Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, as well as comprehensive efforts to restore integrated ecosystems of mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts, he added.

Li also noted the country's endeavor to promote technological innovation to overcome key challenges in arid zone afforestation and degraded grassland restoration.

The endeavor has not only enhanced the role of forests and grasslands as water conservators but also promoted the development of a forest-based non-timber economy, creating direct financial benefits for local populations, he said.

Furthermore, China is using market tools to incentivize conservation, he said. Forestry carbon sinks are now part of the China Certified Emission Reduction program.

This system enables companies to earn and trade carbon credits, converting their environmental contributions into tangible economic gains.

"All of these efforts have transformed into increasingly evident tangible achievements," Li said.

By the end of 2024, for instance, China's forest stock volume had exceeded 20 billion cubic meters, representing an increase of over 7 billion cu m since 2005, he said. China is one of the few countries in the world that have seen a net increase in mangrove forest, he added.

He said that foremost, these initiatives have contributed significantly to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem resilience, and income generation for many.

Li stressed that China is willing to share its experiences in forest management with the rest of the world.

"While consistently enhancing its capability in carbon sink management by promoting a monitoring and accounting system, China is willing to deepen South-South cooperation in forestry carbon sink technology and capacity building," he said.

The 30th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which began on Nov 10, is set to conclude on Friday.