On November 16, An Jinxiang, deputy director of the Liaoning Provincial Department of Science and Technology, visited the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and attended a symposium held at the institute. Ma Yuehong, deputy dean of the Shenyang Branch of the CAS, Zhu Jiaojun, director of IAE, Zhuo Junchen, deputy director of IAE, and some IAE researchers attended the symposium. The symposium was presided over by Wang Xugao, head of Science and Technology Division of IAE. 

An Jinxiang stated that carbon neutrality has become a national strategic goal, so the Provincial Department of Science and Technology hopes to establish a long-term cooperative relationship with IAE and other research institutes in Liaoning in order to help Liaoning achieve the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. 

Ma Yuehong said that the Chinese Academy of Sciences, as a national strategic force in science and technology, always takes "national affairs" and "national responsibility" as its top priority. The Shenyang Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences will mobilize the strengths of all CAS institutes in this region and cooperate with local industries in Liaoning to create demonstration zones, and to provide scientific and technological support to Liaoning’s carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. 

Zhu Jiaojun extended a warm welcome to all the visitors. He expressed his appreciation to the Provincial Department of Science and Technology and the CAS Shenyang Branch for their long-term support. He said that IAE has been committed to the research of various types of ecosystems (e.g., forest, grassland, sand land, and wetland). The institute takes the national and local needs as its own responsibility, focusing on the restoration of degraded ecosystems, the regional ecological security, black soil conservation and utilization, grain security, pollution control, low-carbon (green) development and ecosystem carbon sequestration in order to contribute to the construction of ecological civilization and a beautiful China.  

Afterwards, Zhu Jiaojun gave a talk entitled "Dual Carbon Targets and Carbon Sink of Terrestrial Ecosystems". He introduced in detail the significance of the "dual carbon" target, the urgent need to conduct terrestrial ecosystem carbon sink study, and the carbon  

neutrality issues in Liaoning Province. The symposium attendees conducted lively discussions on these topics and their cooperation in the future. 

The convening of this symposium promoted the formulation of Liaoning Province's "dual carbon" action plan, and will play a good role in accelerating Liaoning's low-carbon development and ecological environmental governance.