From July 10 to 13, the International Symposium on the Current Status and Challenges of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Technologies in Terrestrial Ecosystems was held at NEFU. The symposium brought together distinguished scholars and industry representatives, including Professor Changhui Peng of the Université du Québec à Montréal (Canada); Professor Yingping Wang of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Australia; Song Wenlong, President of NEFU; Wang Qifeng, General Manager of China Longjiang Forest Industry Group Co., Ltd.; and Sun Liang, General Manager of Heilongjiang Forest Industry Carbon Asset Investment & Development Co., Ltd. More than 100 experts and scholars from leading universities and research institutions, including the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peking University, Zhejiang University, Cornell University (United States), Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), and CSIRO (Australia), attended. The opening ceremony was chaired by Professor Zhou Xuhui, Dean of the College of Ecology.

In his opening remarks, President Song Wenlong welcomed participants on behalf of NEFU and highlighted NEFU’s achievements in forest ecology, carbon sink research, and talent development. He emphasized the vital role of terrestrial ecosystem carbon sinks and carbon dioxide removal technologies in supporting China’s “Dual Carbon” goals—achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. He expressed hope for stronger cooperation with domestic and international universities, research institutions, and industry partners to advance scientific innovation and promote the practical application of research outcomes in this field.

In his address, Wang Qifeng, General Manager of China Longjiang Forest Industry Group Co., Ltd., noted that the company would leverage Heilongjiang’s abundant forest resources and extensive forest management experience to deepen collaboration with universities and research institutions, aiming to translate forest carbon sink research into practical support for ecological conservation and green development in forested regions.

Centered on the theme “Current Status and Challenges of Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies in Terrestrial Ecosystems,” the symposium featured keynote presentations, field investigations, and thematic discussions. Participants exchanged views on the latest advances in CDR technologies, monitoring and evaluation methods, large-scale deployment potential, and ecological impacts, shared recent research findings, and explored future directions. The symposium fostered a vibrant academic atmosphere and promoted in-depth exchanges, further strengthening collaboration in the field of carbon dioxide removal in terrestrial ecosystems. Invited keynote speakers included Professor Changhui Peng, Professor Yingping Wang, and Professor Zhou Xuhui from NEFU’s College of Ecology.

During the symposium, participants conducted a field visit to Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang Province, and held focused discussions on CDR experiments and Biogeochemistry-Informed Neural Network (BINN) technologies. Drawing on local forest resources and practical forest management experience, the experts proposed recommendations to enhance ecosystem carbon sequestration capacity, improve monitoring and evaluation methodologies, and accelerate the application of scientific research outcomes.

The symposium provided a high-level international platform for academic exchange among researchers focused on terrestrial ecosystem carbon dioxide removal. It further enhanced NEFU’s academic influence in forest ecology, carbon sink research, and green and low-carbon development, while creating new opportunities to support China’s Dual Carbon strategy and deepen collaboration among NEFU, local governments, and industry partners.