Carbon credit stamps generate income for afforesting villagers three years on

A village in east China's Fujian Province has generated hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars in carbon trading since it made headlines three years ago by securing the country's first forest carbon credit stamp and allowing locals to earn money from the scheme.

Under the province's forest carbon credit system, launched in 2021, companies purchase credits from forest owners as a permit to emit a certain amount of greenhouse gases.

In 2022, Changkou Village in Fujian distributed the 140,000 yuan (about 19,836 U.S. dollars) it earned from its forest carbon credits in the first year of the program, with each resident receiving 150 yuan (around 21 U.S. dollars) in cash.

"We each received 150 yuan from the sale," said Sun Guiying, a local villager.

"Everyone found it incredible and amazing that even air could be sold," added Yang Liyi, vice director of the village.

Further credits are converted from added forest areas based on the amount of carbon the land can capture, providing an incentive for the village to expand its afforestation efforts.

According to Peng Xiaoyong, director of the Afforestation Division at Sanming Forestry Bureau, Chinese President Xi Jinping on the 23rd of March, 2021, visited Sanming for an inspection tour and proposed the need to explore and improve mechanisms for realizing the value of ecological products.

Just two months after President Xi's visit, the bureau issued its first forest carbon credit stamps.

Since then, nearly 50 such projects have been launched in villages under Sanming city's jurisdiction, generating 330,000 U.S. dollars in carbon trading.

The extra income makes a difference in villagers' lives, while their preservation efforts contribute to a crucial global fight against climate change, with added forests serving as "carbon sinks", sequestrations that remove carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

"Carbon sinks are actually one of the most environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and practical measures," said Peng.

"People's attitudes and perceptions about this idea are changing, and the shift is growing. By protecting our forests, we can gain even greater economic value from them," added Yang.

A local afforestation company compared a well-managed forest plot with one that has not been fertilized and weeded. The managed plot grew at a faster rate, therefore absorbing more carbon.

"The total timber volume here is 14 cubic meters per mu (210 cubic meters per hectare), while the adjacent area only reaches seven to eight cubic meters per mu (105 to 120 cubic meters per hectare), which is about a 40-percent difference," said Jiang Qineng, deputy manager at Fujian Jinsen Carbon Sequestration Technology Co.

Other provinces have begun issuing their own forest carbon credit stamps and planners hope a national standard will be established to give the stamps wider tradability.

Carbon credit stamps generate income for afforesting villagers three years on

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that Iran has obtained extensive documents and evidence linking the recent unrest across the country to the U.S. and Israel, noting that Mossad agents attempted to direct such "terrorist acts."

Araghchi said at a press conference in Tehran that since Dec 28, 2025, Iran had seen peaceful demonstrations organized by industry associations and economic professional. In the following days, more participants joined, and the situation gradually escalated from peaceful rallies into violent clashes.

Beginning on Jan 8, terrorists and armed groups carrying weapons entered protest sites and opened fire on police and civilians, with the aim of steering demonstrations toward violence, bloodshed and chaos, he said.

"Israeli media reports are rife with claims that Israel has designed and conducted operations in Iran. Mr. [Mike] Pompeo, who was Trump's CIA director, said on his X that 'Happy New Year to every Iranian in the streets. Also to every Mossad agent walking beside them.' This clearly shows that Mossad agents attempted to direct such terrorist acts," the minister said. Addressing military threats from the U.S. and Israel, Araghchi said Iran does not seek war but is fully prepared to face up to war. He added that Iran is ready for serious and pragmatic negotiations with the U.S., but the talks must be based on fairness, equality and mutual respect, rather than unilateral pressure or directives from Washington.

On the same day, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei condemned the U.S. and Israel at a regular press briefing in Tehran. He said the two countries have made "extensive interventionist remarks" regarding Iran's situation, saying such statements are intended to foment chaos, violence and instability.

The spokesman said Iran is closely monitoring the development of the situation and remains fully prepared, warning that Iran's armed forces will respond to any act of aggression by its enemies.

Mossad agents attempt to direct terrorist acts: Iranian FM