Carbon emission reduction:Contribution of photovoltaic power and practice in China

As a clean and renewable form of energy,photovoltaic(PV)power generation converts solar energy into electrical energy,reducing the consumption of fossil fuels and significantly lowering greenhouse gas emissions.Amidst the global transition towards cleaner forms of energy,countries all around the world are vigorously developing PV technology.

Carbon emission reduction: Contribution of geothermal energy and practice in China

As a kind of natural energy from the earth’s interior,geothermal energy is characterized by large reserve,wide distribution,good stability,high utilization coefficient,and positive effects of energy-saving and emission-reduction.It is of great significance for promoting green and low-carbon energy transition,reducing greenhouse gas emission,and achieving global climate goals and sustainable economic development.Hence,it has been highly recognized and valued by lots of countries around the world,and has become one of the most important clean energy sources that countries are accelerating to develop and utilize.The potential of the global geothermal energy resource is estimated to be 1.25×1027 J,equivalent to 4.27×10^(16) t of standard coal,among which the geothermal resource between 0 km and 5 km is 1.45×10^(26) J,equivalent to 4.95×1015 t of standard coal(China Geological Survey,2018).

Carbon neutrality:China's energy transition over the past decade

China's energy transition is based on accelerating the construction of a clean,low-carbon,safe,and efficient new energy system(Fig.1),providing strong energy security for economic and social development;focusing on ecological civilization construction,and accelerating the formation of a new energy consumption model that is efficient,green,inclusive,and beneficial,while promoting carbon reduction,pollution reduction,expansion of green spaces,and economic growth.

Carbon peak and carbon neutrality in China:Goals,implementation path and prospects

Climate change is a common problem in human society.The Chinese government promises to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and strives to achieve carbon neutralization by 2060.The proposal of the goal of carbon peak and carbon neutralization has led China into the era of climate economy and set off a green change with both opportunities and challenges.On the basis of expounding the objectives and specific connotation of China’s carbon peak and carbon neutralization,this paper systematically discusses the main implementation path and the prospect of China’s carbon peak and carbon neutralization.China’s path to realizing carbon neutralization includes four directions:(1)in terms of carbon dioxide emission control:energy transformation path,energy conservation,and emission reduction path;(2)for increasing carbon sink:carbon capture,utilization,and storage path,ecological governance,and land greening path;(3)in key technology development:zero-carbon utilization,coal new energy coupling,carbon capture utilization and storage(CCUS),energy storage technology and other key technology paths required to achieve carbon peak and carbon neutralization;(4)from the angle of policy development:Formulate legal guarantees for the government to promote the carbon trading market;Formulate carbon emission standards for enterprises and increase publicity and education for individuals and society.Based on practicing the goal and path of carbon peak and carbon neutralization,China will vigorously develop low carbon and circular economy and promote green and high-quality economic development;speed up to enter the era of fossil resources and promoting energy transformation;accelerate the integrated innovation of green and low-carbon technologies and promote carbon neutrality.

Major contribution to carbon neutrality by China’s geosciences and geological technologies

In the context of global climate change,geosciences provide an important geological solution to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality,China’s geosciences and geological technologies can play an important role in solving the problem of carbon neutrality.This paper discusses the main problems,opportunities,and challenges that can be solved by the participation of geosciences in carbon neutrality,as well as China’s response to them.The main scientific problems involved and the geological work carried out mainly fall into three categories:(1)Carbon emission reduction technology(natural gas hydrate,geothermal,hot dry rock,nuclear energy,hydropower,wind energy,solar energy,hydrogen energy);(2)carbon sequestration technology(carbon capture and storage,underground space utilization);(3)key minerals needed to support carbon neutralization(raw materials for energy transformation,carbon reduction technology).Therefore,geosciences and geological technologies are needed:First,actively participate in the development of green energy such as natural gas,geothermal energy,hydropower,hot dry rock,and key energy minerals,and develop exploration and exploitation technologies such as geothermal energy and natural gas;the second is to do a good job in geological support for new energy site selection,carry out an in-depth study on geotechnical feasibility and mitigation measures,and form the basis of relevant economic decisions to reduce costs and prevent geological disasters;the third is to develop and coordinate relevant departments of geosciences,organize and carry out strategic research on natural resources,carry out theoretical system research on global climate change and other issues under the guidance of earth system science theory,and coordinate frontier scientific information and advanced technological tools of various disciplines.The goal of carbon neutrality provides new opportunities and challenges for geosciences research.In the future,it is necessary to provide theoretical and technical support from various aspects,enhance the ability of climate adaptation,and support the realization of the goal of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.

Geological characteristics,metallogenic regularity,and research progress of lithium deposits in China

China is rich in abundant lithium resources characterized by considerable reserves and a concentrated distribution of metallogenic zones or belts,with proven reserves of 4046.8×10^(3) t(calculated based on Li_(2)O)by 2021.China is also a big consumer of lithium.By 2019,China’s lithium consumption in the battery sector alone had reached 99×10^(3) t,with an average annual growth rate of nearly 26%.China has become the world’s largest importer of lithium resources,showing a severely unbalanced relationship between supply and demand for lithium resources.Therefore,there is an urgent need for the prospecting,exploitation,and study of lithium resources in China.This study collected,organized,and summarized the data on the major lithium deposits in China,analyzed and compared the spatial-temporal distribution patterns,geological characteristics,and metallogenic regularity of these lithium deposits,and summarized the prospecting and research achievements over the last decade.The major lithium deposits in China are distributed in provinces and regions such as Qinghai,Jiangxi,Sichuan,Tibet,and Xinjiang.These deposits are mostly small in scale.According to different genetic types,this study divided lithium deposits into granitic pegmatite type,granite type,saline lake brine type,underground brine type,and sedimentary type,as well as new types including hot spring type and magmatic-hydrothermal type,and summarized the characteristics and key metallogenic factors of these different types of deposits.Sixteen metallogenic prospect areas of lithium deposits were delineated according to the deposit types and the distribution patterns of metallogenic belts.The paper introduced the research progress in major metallogenic models and lithium extraction techniques made over the past decade.Based on the comprehensive analysis of the prospecting potential of lithium deposits,the authors concluded that the future prospecting of lithium resources in China should focus on lithium metallogenic belts,the deep and peripheral areas of currently determined large-scale pegmatite-type lithium deposits,geophysical-geochemical anomalous areas with mineralization clues,and areas with developed large-scale low-grade associated granite-type and sedimentary lithium resources.The study aims to serve as a guide for the future prospecting of lithium deposits in China.

An carbon neutrality industrial chain of“desert-photovoltaic power generationecological agriculture”:Practice from the Ulan Buh Desert,Dengkou,Inner Mongolia

Deserts,the sea of death,are the places where life ends.However,they will become a different scene if there is electricity in the deserts:vegetation will regenerate,crops will grow in rows,the sky will be blue and full of birds,and flowers will be fragrant.This is the scene of the Ulan Buh Desert in Dengkou County,Inner Mongolia,China.The local government's achievements and experience in sand control can be summarized into four items:(1)Photovoltaic power generation,saving coal resources;(2)Developing deserts:expanding land resources;(3)Finding uses for water flowing through deserts and below them;(4)Improve the environment and eliminate the poverty of the people in the sand area.

China achieved fruitful results in oil-shale gas-coalbed methane exploration and development in 2021

2021 is the year with the least amount of oil and gas exploration and discoveries in the past 75 years.The world’s new proven oil and gas reserves were 6.6×10^(9) barrels of oil equivalent,compared with 19×10^(9) barrels of oil equivalent in 2020,with a significant decline in new proven oil and gas reserves.

IUGS released first 100 Geological Heritage Sites and China has seven in the list

On October 26,2022,the International Union of Geological Sciences(IUGS)unveiled the First 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites in Spain.These sites are located in56 countries,including 34 in the Americas,28 in Europe,15 in Africa and 23 in the Asia-Pacific-Middle East region(Table 1).The seven selected sites of China are introduced as follows(black font in Table 1).

China’s water resources in 2020

Ministry of Water Resources of China recently released the Bulletin of China Water Resources in 2020 which points out the national precipitation and total water resources are significantly higher than the multi-year averages(refer to the average during 1956-2000),and the storage of large and medium-sized reservoirs and lakes was generally stable in 2020.The total amount of national water consumption in 2020 has decreased compared with 2019,the water use efficiency has been further improved,and the water use structure has been continuously optimized.

Overview and characteristics of China’s islands:Based on“Statistical Communiquéon China’s Island Survey in 2017”

1.Basic overview of China’s islands The total length of China’s coastline is 32000 km,including 18000 km of mainland coastline and 14000 km of island coastline.There are more than 11000 islands in China,and the total area of islands accounts for about 0.8%of China’s land area.

Motivation of desert to Oasis: Photovoltaic power generation and carbon neutrality

China has vast areas of deserts,gobis,and desertified lands,with a total area of 3.96×106 km2,accounting for 41.3%of the national land area.The desert area is 6.88×105 km2,the Gobi area is 6.61×105 km2,and the desertification land area is 2.61×106 km2,respectively(National Forestry and Grassland Administration,2018).These are mainly distributed in the northwestern and northern regions west of the“Hu Huanyong Line”(Fig.1),including Taklimakan Desert,Gurban Tungut Desert,Badain Jalan Desert,Tengger Desert,Ulan Buhe Desert,Kubuqi Desert,Qaidam Basin Desert and Kumtag Desert,Mu Us Sandy Land,Hunshandak Sandy Land,Horqin Sandy Land and Hulun Buir Sandy Land.

The introduction of traditional Chinese mineral medicine

Recently,the COVID-19 pandemic outbreaked and raged across the world,threatening the safety of human life worldwide.Scientists from various countries are working hard to develop various medicines to stop the spread of the Novel coronavirus.Among them,experts on Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)used Chinese medicines“Lianhua Qingwen Capsule”and“Clearing lung and expelling toxin soup”to fight against the virus and save the lives of infected people,which achieved very positive clinical observation results.In the above two medicines,there is one kind of mineral medicine-gypsum.

Progress in carbon capture,utilization and storage of China Geological Survey and other geological exploration entities

Carbon capture,utilization,and storage(CCUS),as a green and low-carbon technology that can achieve large-scale reduction of direct emission and low-carbon utilization of fossil fuels,has become an indispensable technological option for countries around the world to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,strengthen climate governance,and achieve climate goals.Since 2009,China Geological Survey(CGS)has organized and carried out lots of programs to prompt the development of CCUS technology in China,such as national carbon dioxide geological storage potential assessment,carbon dioxide geological storage and utilization survey,comprehensive geological survey of carbon dioxide geological storage in Junggar and other basins,which made a number of important achievements in regional potential assessment,demonstration project implementation and key technology research and development.