Chulalongkorn University, represented by its Academic Service Center and the Department of Marine Science of the Faculty of Science, participated in the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the Ocean Negative Carbon Emissions (ONCE) initiative.
This initiative is recognized by the Global Ocean Negative Carbon Emissions (Global-ONCE) Program under the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, coordinated by the IOC-UNESCO (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization).
ONCE is a collaborative project involving educational and research institutions from over 33 countries. During the signing ceremony on October 23, 2024, in Beijing at the China Hall of Science and Technology, Professor Dr. Pornanong Aramwit, Acting Vice President of Chulalongkorn University, signed the agreement on behalf of Professor Dr. Wilert Puriwat, President of Chulalongkorn University. The agreement was also signed by Prof. Tingwei Luo, President of the Research Center for Ocean Negative Carbon Emissions, Xiamen (ONCEXM), with Associate Professor Dr. Penjai Sompongchaiyakul serving as a witness to the signing.
The MOU aims to establish and operate the ONCE Asia Hub at Chulalongkorn University, in collaboration with the Research Center for Ocean Negative Carbon Emissions, Xiamen (ONCEXM). The hub will serve as a regional center for research and knowledge dissemination on oceanic negative carbon emissions, with the objective to enhance carbon reduction capabilities, expand understanding of ocean-climate interactions, and develop mitigation and adaptation solutions to climate change impacts.
This collaboration highlights the importance of building human resource capacity through knowledge exchange among faculty, researchers, and both graduate and undergraduate students. The initiative also aims to gather in-depth data on oceans, valuable for formulating strategies and management frameworks that support achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to oceans and global climate.
