The ever-magnificent Daqing Mountain in Hohhot is a prime example of the region's pristine ecosystem. [Photo provided to en.hhhtnews.com]

The city of Hohhot, capital of North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, is moving to fully tap its potential in the development of forests, grasslands and wetlands carbon sinks – in the wake of a cooperation agreement signed by the city's forestry and grassland bureau and Huanbaoqiao (Shanghai) Enterprise Management Co.

Carbon sinks are natural reservoirs like forests. They are widely viewed as being great for the environment – extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and absorbing more carbon than they release, nurturing the ecosystem and cultivating products that are cleaner and healthier and command premium prices in the marketplace. 

The two parties will identify the local characteristics of the forest, grassland and wetlands resources of Hohhot.

They will then work together in forest and grassland carbon sink development, trading, investment and financing projects through international and domestic carbon emissions reduction trading mechanisms.

Hohhot is widely said to be rich in carbon sink resources and has great development potential in the field. By the end of 2022, the forest area in the city reached 5.94 million mu (396,000 hectares), the forest coverage rate was 23.01 percent, the grassland area was 8.19 million mu and the wetland area was 263,800 mu.

The Chilechuan Grassland bathes in sunlight in Hohhot. [Photo/Hohhot Daily]

Starting in 2022, the Hohhot forestry and grassland bureau launched a carbon sequestration and monitoring project for forest and grassland wetlands.

The carbon sequestration monitoring of four key places – Xincheng district, Tumd Left Banner, Qingshuihe county and Wuchuan county – has now been completed. A total of 464 standard sample plots and 1,362 quadrats – rectangular plots for ecological studies – have been established. Furthermore, 7,932 samples have been collected.

This year, Hohhot's government plans to continue to carry out carbon sink measurements and monitoring – in Togtoh county, Horinger county, Huimin district, Yuquan district and Saihan district – to establish a complete carbon sink database.