Towards an Integrated Blue Accounting Framework for China’s Sustainable Blue Economy—A Systematic Review

Abstract

In the context of global climate change, the blue economy and coastal blue carbon are pivotal to sustainable ocean governance. However, integrating economic, social, and ecological dimensions into national accounting systems remains highly fragmented, particularly in China. China’s marine strategies currently prioritise Gross Value Added and industrial expansion, inadvertently excluding the immense non-market carbon sequestration value of mangroves, seagrass beds, and salt marshes from the System of National Accounts. Following the PRISMA guidelines, this paper systematically reviews international policy frameworks, scientific literature, and accounting instruments to assess current implementation of blue economy and blue carbon accounting. To bridge the identified structural gaps, this paper proposes an innovative integrated framework for blue carbon accounting and carbon asset optimisation, aimed at quantitatively tracking and mapping a concrete pathway to standardise blue carbon as a tradable asset and integrate it into the China Certified Emission Reduction market. Ultimately, this research systematically analyses the scientific basis of blue carbon ecosystems, the capital mobilisation mechanisms of blue finance, and the disclosure dilemmas of blue accounting to provide in-depth strategic insights for multilateral institutions, academia, and policymakers. It provides a robust, evidence-based foundation to reconcile marine economic development with ecological boundaries, thereby supporting China’s carbon neutrality targets and the Global Sustainable Development Goals.