On World Environment Day, China unveiled its top 10 ecological and environmental science achievements for 2024, showcasing the nation’s dedication to sustainable development and environmental innovation.
Among the groundbreaking advancements are studies on carbon cycling in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau’s permafrost, intelligent environmental monitoring systems, and new global formulas for estimating soil microbial carbon. These projects address critical issues such as climate change, urban land subsidence, and ecosystem restoration.
“These cutting-edge achievements demonstrate significant application potential and could provide robust scientific foundations for China’s ecological conservation and green, low-carbon development,” said Wang Jinnan, president of the Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences. He highlighted China’s leadership in environmental science publications and technical patents in recent years.
China has built a comprehensive technological support system covering water, air, soil, solid waste, and environmental monitoring, achieving self-reliance in key areas to meet national ecological protection needs.
According to Zhang Yuanhang, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the achievements were selected through rigorous evaluation involving nominations from Chinese academicians, academic institutions, universities, and research organizations. This annual selection, now in its sixth year, has become an important platform for promoting ecological innovation, inspiring scientific research, and enhancing public environmental awareness.
The top 10 environmental science achievements for 2024 include:
Response mechanisms of carbon cycling in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau’s permafrost to climate warming
Evolution patterns and regulation principles of key atmospheric components under climate change
Development and application of an intelligent multi-element environmental monitoring system with large-model forecasting
Open-source release of an emission-atmospheric process coupling model
New global soil microbial carbon estimation formula and its impact on carbon cycling
Research on patterns and mechanisms of urban land subsidence in China
Interaction mechanisms between climate change and terrestrial ecosystems
Progressive ecological restoration theory applied to river ecosystem recovery
Intelligent flue gas carbon-pollution coordinated reduction technology
Integrated capacity enhancement-pollution reduction-carbon neutrality framework in the Yellow River Basin
These achievements not only reflect China’s commitment to tackling environmental challenges but also aim to inspire global efforts in ecological conservation and sustainability.
