Representatives attend a signing ceremony at the Fourth ONCE Open Science Conference. [Photo/en.xmu.edu.cn]
Xiamen University (XMU) and the Ocean Negative Carbon Emissions (ONCE) program co-hosted the Fourth ONCE Open Science Conference in Xiamen on Oct 21–22.
With a focus on expanding international cooperation on ocean negative emissions and advancing global climate governance, the event brought together experts, scholars, government officials, and representatives of international organizations from 17 countries, as well as faculty and student representatives from XMU.
Hu Wenping, XMU president and a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, highlighted the university's century-long ties with the ocean.
He called for closer research collaboration across countries and disciplines, and said XMU would work with international partners through ONCE to support global climate governance.
In a video message, Sun Shuxian, vice-minister of natural resources, called for more research on ocean carbon sinks, better land-sea coordination, and wider international cooperation.
Peter Thomson, the UN secretary-general's special envoy for the ocean, praised ONCE for linking carbon removal with ecological restoration. He urged greater investment in ocean science and responsible, evidence-based action to translate research into practice.
Jiao Nianzhi, chief scientist at ONCE, described ocean negative emissions as a shared scientific challenge for humanity. He stressed the need for internationally recognized standards, strict monitoring, ecological safeguards, pilot projects across regions, and stronger links between science and policy.
Participants also signed international cooperation agreements, presented awards, and released new ONCE research findings and the Xiamen Statement on Ocean Negative Carbon Emissions for UNOC4.
