The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) has released the nation’s first comprehensive roadmap for the “Climate Resource Economy.”
The 2025 Blue Book provides the first systematic framework for converting meteorological elements—such as wind, solar radiation, and even specific atmospheric landscapes—into quantifiable goods, services, and industrial value.
Monetizing the sea of clouds:
The report introduces the concept of the “Meteorology +” economy, where weather patterns become direct revenue drivers.
In regions like Chongqing, the CMA has implemented a “Misty Rain Meteorological Landscape Index” to help the tourism industry market specific scenic conditions. By treating sunrises and cloud formations as “scenic resources,” local governments are now able to integrate weather forecasting directly into their GDP planning and tourism development strategies.
Agricultural and energy shifts:
The Blue Book highlights significant economic shifts caused by warming. It reveals that China’s northeastern corn cultivation belt has expanded northward by approximately 4.07 million hectares (61 million mu). This expansion is framed not just as a climate change impact but as a resource shift to be optimized for national food security. Similarly, the report notes that increasing the accuracy of wind and solar forecasts is now a primary economic activity, as it directly reduces “disaster-related losses” and optimizes power grid dispatching.
Health and the dual-carbon goal:
Beyond energy and farming, the Blue Book explores “Health Meteorology.” It identifies strong correlations between weather factors and respiratory or circulatory diseases, proposing a health service system that uses weather data to lower healthcare costs and disease incidence. Ultimately, the book serves as a scientific baseline to support China’s “dual carbon” goals, providing a data-driven path to reach peak emissions and achieve carbon neutrality by treating the climate as a partner in production.
Official vision:
Chen Zhenlin, Administrator (Head), CMA, said, “The economic transformation of climate resources aims to convert these resources into goods and services through policies, market mechanisms, and technological innovation. It is a systematic development that integrates economic growth with environmental protection, holding profound significance for industrial upgrading and people’s well-being.”
