The Center for Ocean Carbon Neutrality (COCN) of Ocean University of China was officially established on June 22, 2022. With the aim of serving the major demands of China’s national dual carbon targets, COCN fully leverages the multidisciplinary strengths across humanities, sciences,, engineering, agriculture, and business in marine field. With the construction goal of deepening marine research, serving the nation, and pursuing world-class excellence, the center strives to build a comprehensive innovation platform with distinctive marine features integrating efforts from government, industry, academia, research, finance, service, and application.
COCN is structured with an academic committee and a chairperson's committee. It currently brings together more than 120 experts and scholars from over 20 colleges, laboratories and departments across the university, including over 80 professors, forming a highly interdisciplinary framework spanning humanities, sciences, engineering, agriculture and business. The center focuses on four key research areas: Key Processes and Theoretical Innovations in Ocean Carbon Sequestration, Carbon-Free Energy Alternatives and Key Technologies, Typical Demonstration and Promotion of Ocean Carbon Sequestration Applications, and Standards for Ocean Carbon Trading and Climate Change Assessment.
Since its establishment, COCN has successfully organized five international academic forums on climate change, carbon neutrality and blue carbon, as well as four international training seminars on South-South cooperation sponsored by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. The center has compiled and published the first blue book on blue carbon in China, “Blue Book on Blue Carbon in China 2024”, as well as “Blue Book on Blue Carbon in China 2025” and three volumes of Advances in Ocean Carbon Neutrality, contributing China’s “blue carbon” solutions to the global effort.
