Global Leadership on Blue Carbon: Keys to Success
A joint event with the Blue Carbon Initiative (CI, IUCN and IOC-UNESCO) and the International Partnership for Blue Carbon (IPBC) highlighting blue carbon leadership and initiatives globally and sharing best practices from both blue carbon policy and project level developments.
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Coastal blue carbon ecosystems, including mangroves, seagrass, and salt marshes, are among the most efficient carbon sinks on Earth. Climate change is having profound effects on coastal and marine ecosystems -- sea levels are rising, ocean temperatures are increasing, waters are becoming more acidic, and extreme weather events are battering coastal communities with increasing frequency and intensity. Blue carbon ecosystems play a dual role in addressing the impacts of climate change by contributing to mitigation through sequestering carbon and adaptation through wave attenuation and flood prevention. The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), published in February 2022, specifically recognized the link between ocean and climate highlighting the importance of coastal and marine ecosystems for climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Despite recent advancements under the UNFCCC, including the creation of an annual Ocean and Climate Change dialogue, there are still many opportunities to increase national and international blue carbon commitments and action. COP 27 takes place during the Global Stocktake process and in the lead-up to the 2025 NDC revision cycle, providing countries with an opportunity to fully recognize and include blue carbon ecosystems in their NDCs.
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