From September 15 to16, 2021, the Red Beach Wetland Protection and Sustainable Development Forum was successfully held in Panjin. The forum was jointly organised by the Cultural Tourism Group of Panjin City, the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and several other organisations.

On September 29, 2021, China Technology Market Association announced the winners of the 3rd Golden Bridge Awards. Due to excellent performance in promoting the transfer, transformation and industrialisation of scientific and technological achievements, the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with five other prize winners, was awarded the outstanding contribution award, the top prize of the Golden Bridge Awards.

After more than a year of preparation, the Observation and Research Station Network for Northeast China Forest Ecosystems (or NE-Forest Network for short) was formally established on August 3, 2021. The founding meeting was held at the Qingyuan Forest Ecosystem Observation and Research Station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (i.e., Liaoning Qingyuan Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station) (referred to as Qingyuan Station hereinafter).

On August 17, 2021, Shenyang Zhongke Ecological Sciences & Technology Co., Ltd. (or SZE for short) was formally established with the approval of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Executive Committee of the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE), CAS. The purpose of the establishment of this company is to achieve centralized and unified supervision of the IAE's operational state-owned assets, standardize corporate governance and investment progress, promote the transfer of scientific and technological achievements and the operation of intellectual property, and establish a firewall against risk for the institute.

On July 15, the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the People's Government of Heping District of Shenyang City, signed a framework agreement on the joint establishment of the Northeast China Carbon Neutral Industrial Technology Academy Co., Ltd. It marks the further implementation of the Comprehensive Cooperation Framework Agreement between Shenyang Municipal Government and the CAS Institute of Applied Ecology.

From July 19 to 20, 2021, the Science and Technology Division of the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, organized the 2nd 2021 Applied Ecology Forum.

On July 10-13, 2021, the 9th International Congress of the East Asian Federation of Ecological Societies (EAFES) was held in Hohhot (Huhehaote). More than 450 experts from China, South Korea, Japan and other countries attended the conference through offline or online mode. The conference was organised by the EAFES and hosted by the Chinese Ecological Society and the Inner Mongolia Academy of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Sciences.

On the afternoon of July 8, the signing ceremony of the comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement between Shenyang University and the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the plaque unveiling ceremony of the Joint Innovation Center were held at Shenyang University.

From July 1st to 2nd, 2021, the Science and Technology Division of the Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, organised the 2021 Applied Ecology Forum. Professor HE Hongshi from the University of Missouri in the United States and Prof. Zhang Yangjian from the Institute of Geographical Sciences & Natural Resources Research of CAS were invited to give talks. A total of more than 60 researchers and graduate students participated in the forum. Prof. Wang Xugao, head of the S&T Division of IAE, chaired the forum.

Global warming due to anthropogenic carbon emissions are already having substantial adverse climate impacts and threatening ecological balance.