Editor's note: The Ocean Negative Carbon Emissions program, or ONCE, which was initiated by Chinese scientists, aims to increase the ability of the ocean to absorb carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Jiao Nianzhi, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and chief scientist at ONCE, spoke to The Beijing News about the significance of the program. Below are excerpts of the interview. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

It's been five years since ONCE was launched. This international big science program was endorsed under the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development in 2022. To date, more than 100 teams from 38 countries have formally joined the program, which has achieved several important milestones, such as the establishment of a standardized framework with clear operational mechanisms.

In accordance with UN requirements and norms, three international committees — the science advisory committee, the science management committee and the executive committee — have been set up under the program.

The program is goal-oriented and driven by major tasks in five areas. The first is the innovation of theories. The second is the establishment of a platform to advance ocean negative carbon emissions. The third is the implementation of theories and development of demonstrations.

The fourth is international exchange and cooperation. The core feature of a big science program is joint action. This requires participating countries and teams to build consensus, abide by common rules, develop international standards and coordinate in various fields, including management and technology application.

The fifth is bringing together talents. Traditionally, big science programs involve pooled funding to build a unique facility in a single location, which is then shared and used by all participants.

ONCE, by contrast, adopts a "radial and distributed" model. The technological solutions developed by the program are explored and promoted worldwide. The program encourages trials of these solutions in diverse settings. By providing solutions and promoting them globally, China is helping with carbon emissions reduction worldwide.

Initiating such an international big science program will greatly enhance China's voice in global science and technology. It also serves as an important way for China to deepen diplomacy in science and technology, seize an advantage in frontier technologies, and contribute its solutions to the world.

The growing food scarcity problem has increased demand for marine protein. But traditional nearshore farming of fish, shrimp, shellfish and algae imposes pressure on the marine environment, making it necessary to adopt integrated negative carbon emissions methods in sea farms to both increase ocean carbon sinks and resolve environmental issues.

It's important for ONCE to develop technical specifications and international standards for ocean carbon sinks, because standards form the foundation for large-scale and replicable practices.

Also, if the standards proposed by China become international standards, the country, along with the Global South, will have a greater say in the sector of ocean carbon sinks.

If the solutions developed by the ONCE program prove feasible, the methods and indicators used by China can serve as a reference model for other countries, thus providing global climate action with a Chinese approach that is reasonable, legitimate, implementable and reliable.