12 organisations delivering on the promise of blue carbon

The Blue Carbon Challenge is hosted by Friends of Ocean Action, UpLink and the Mangroves Working Group

As businesses pursue net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, they must look for ways to achieve rapid decarbonisation. Capturing carbon in natural carbon sinks offers a transitional step to net zero, complementing efforts to reduce emissions. Carbon markets enable net-zero commitments to become credible and positive actions for people, nature and climate.

Terrestrial carbon sinks have created carbon credits via forests and grasslands, with great impact. But blue carbon—carbon stored in aquatic ecosystems like mangrove forests and seagrass beds—has the potential to store five times as much carbon per square foot as terrestrial ecosystems. Yet blue-carbon markets and projects have been underdeveloped and underfunded,  even as there has been growing corporate demand for this limited supply of verified credits. Building the supply of high-quality blue-carbon credits will require innovative projects and supporting tools that put people and nature at the centre of this climate mitigation strategy.

In this vein, Friends of Ocean Action, UpLink and the Mangroves Working Group have launched the Blue Carbon Challenge. Supporting partners that have joined the effort are Salesforce, Conservation International, CORDIO East Africa, REV Ocean and GIB Asset Management. Together we have sought solutions and tools to build the supply of blue-carbon credits. We have focused on blue-carbon projects that can enter the carbon market and that advance the conservation and restoration of coastal and aquatic ecosystems, along with solutions that support and build trust and transparency in such projects.

Mikoko Pamoja CBO is a pro-poor, pro-nature and pro-climate mangrove restoration intervention, geared at providing benefits for biodiversity, socioeconomic empowerment and mitigating climate change. Annually, 2,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) are sequestered, generating income of approximately USD$30,000. Revenue is channelled into local community development in water, sanitation, education and further ecosystem conservation.

Blue Ventures works with coastal communities at over 120 sites globally. Their team is developing the Google Earth Engine Mangrove Mapping Methodology (GEM) as an accessible, cloud-based tool for rapid monitoring by non-specialists of changes in mangrove cover. This simple (non-coding) interface will remove key barriers to communities developing mangrove blue-carbon projects. Validation of GEM will be freely available online to non-profit users.

Friendship Bangladesh, led by Schwab Social Innovator Runa Khan, is working with one of the most climate-vulnerable coastal communities of Bangladesh to develop a mangrove plantation and livelihood diversification initiative centred on human value and dignity. Their work has already yielded a 63% increase in incomes and the creation of 75 women-led mangrove forest protection groups.

Distributed Additive Manufacturing (DAM) together with Worldview Impact Foundation aims to deploy a “factory in a shipping container” in the Gambia, enabling the conversion of ocean-bound plastic waste into reusable and fully recyclable seedling incubators to increase the survival rate of mangrove plantings.

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Latin America, through its programmes in Belize and Mexico, is piloting Blue Carbon Resilience Credits in Belize that will attract buyers willing to offset carbon emissions with third party-verified metrics of carbon- and flood-reduction benefits. TNC in Belize will learn from TNC Mexico’s experience incorporating restoration projects into policy.

Reforest’Action and Yagasu are leveraging Reforest’Action’s unique “crowdplanting” digital platform to involve several villages in restoring badly degraded mangrove forests in Sumatra. Since 2017, 770,000 new mangrove seedlings have taken root, and their ambition is to plant 1 million more by the end of 2023.

Kelp Forest Foundation is on a mission to independently and transparently prove the ecosystem and carbon-sink services of kelp. The foundation is supporting cutting-edge science to quantify the potential of giant kelp for sequestering carbon and building biodiversity.

Distant Imagery Solutions believes that its drones, made from simple and scalable 3D-printed components, coupled with precision planting can be a game-changer in mangrove restoration. Its technology can drop 2,000 germinated seeds or 500 seedballs in ten minutes. Distant Imagery sees its drones as a supplement to the holistic ecology of the planting area.

Silvestrum Climate Associates has a team with nearly 95 years’ combined experience in carbon science and coastal ecology. Together with Verra and other partners, Silvestrum has developed the Seascape Carbon Initiative to explore and unlock the potential for coastal and marine activities that could generate significant and verifiable climate and sustainable-development value. They aim to do this by considering broader seascape ecosystems including wild and farmed seaweeds, seabeds, marine protected areas and open-ocean carbon drawdown.

The Ocean Foundation, in partnership with Mexico’s National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) and several Mexican universities, is building coastal resilience in Xcalak Reefs National Park. The immediate goal of this multiyear effort in Xcalak (a majority indigenous community) is to enhance coastal resilience through seascape restoration, including mangroves, dunes, seagrasses and corals. The longer-term objective is to sell blue-carbon credits to generate more-resilient income streams for the community.

Yayasan IKAMaT has developed Mangrove Tag, an online mangrove-mapping platform for monitoring patrols, enabling in-field reporting on the condition of the mangrove ecosystem with community participation. Mangrove Tag collects metadata on indicators such as species, damage, planting and mangrove tourism.

Solon Capital Partners has established the Africa Conservation Initiative to promote the conservation and restoration of the Sherbo River Estuary in Sierra Leone, West Africa. By selling carbon credits and developing alternative livelihoods, the initiative will leverage its deep ties with indigenous communities to achieve the twin aims of conservation and development.

Main image credit: Getty / World Economic Forum

Ronald Tardiff currently leads the UpLink Ocean impact pillar of Friends of Ocean Action at the World Economic Forum in Geneva. Prior to this, he worked for nearly two years with the Sustainable Ocean Alliance to build the world’s largest network of young ocean leaders. Mr Tardiff is a marine ecologist by training with degrees in Marine Sciences, Maritime Studies, Aquaculture, Environment & Society, and is finishing up a Master of Advanced Studies in Sustainable Blue Growth. He has studied all things ocean at eight universities and research institutions around the world and has lived, worked or studied in ten countries.