The projects 

Read the official announcement with project information here, on the Blue Natural Capital website. 

Photo: Peter Stephen, Ecosecurities

Ecosecurities – Malaysia: Protecting the rich biodiversity of the Rajang Delta

The highly sensitive region of the Rajang Delta of Sarawak, Malaysia, is ranked as one of the most biologically diverse places on earth but is facing serious threats after decades of unsustainable logging and palm oil development. Ecosecurities will collaborate with South East Carbon, the Department of Forestry, and local communities to develop a Blue Carbon project. BCAF's support for this project will define its technical, social, and financial viability. Funding will be directed towards establishing a science-based emission profile, a community-led assessment of rights and resources, and a detailed roadmap for private sector investment.

Forest Carbon – Indonesia: Long-term conservation for Misool Island

Photo: Joao Sousa, IUCN

The Forest Carbon project in Indonesia sets a grand vision for a large-scale restoration and conservation initiative around Misool island. Over 30 years, the project aims to preserve endangered species, restore degraded coral reefs, and engage communities in marine and coastal asset protection. BCAF's support will fund critical project milestones, including a comprehensive biodiversity assessment and the development of a world-class biodiversity monitoring program. These steps will prepare the project for certification and audit under leading international standards for environmental markets.

Rare – Philippines: Empowering coastal communities for sustainable blue carbon win-win benefits

Rare, a leader in behavior-centered solutions, is spearheading a project in the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape in the Philippines. The focus is on early-stage blue carbon feasibility assessments and community empowerment. BCAF's support will be instrumental in conducting a coastal blue carbon market project feasibility assessment paired with a local stakeholder assessment. Additionally, the fund will aid in establishing a business plan, outlining how revenue from the blue carbon market project will benefit coastal ecosystem protection and enhance community livelihoods.

RePLANET – Indonesia: Restoring mangroves to abandoned shrimp farms on village-controlled land while navigating new forest carbon laws

Photo: Joao Sousa, IUCN

RePLANET's Sulawesi mangrove project aims to restore 2000 hectares of abandoned shrimp farms in South-East Sulawesi, on village-controlled land. Funding for this restoration will come from carbon and biodiversity credit sales, with a notable 60% of the income guaranteed for local stakeholders.

The project faces new forest carbon laws in Indonesia, and the BCAF grant will play a crucial role in navigating these regulations. It will support the project in reaching the market and provide valuable information to scale up private sector investment in mangrove restoration in Indonesia.

Photo: Joao Sousa, IUCN

Readiness: a state of preparation for action

The novel BCAF Readiness initiative fills a vital conservation project niche: supporting promising projects that aren't quite ready for implementation by taking them the rest of the way to being shovel-ready to go. 

• Read more here on the Blue Carbon Accelerator Fund and its work developing blue carbon restoration and conservation projects.
• Learn more about the ongoing BCAF Readiness and Implementation projects here.

BCAF initiatives, important cogs in global blue carbon work

Photo: BCAF and the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

The Blue Carbon Accelerator Fund's commitment to new projects and ongoing projects reflects a concerted effort to address pressing environmental challenges - the challenges shown in the UN Sustainable Development Goals, UN Global Biodiversity Framework Targets, RAMSAR Convention on Wetlands, and other international environmental commitments.

BCAF initiatives are directly valuable for the specific locations they target but BCAF partners Australia's DCCEEW (Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water) and IUCN also hope they will continue to serve as part of the beacon of inspiration for global blue carbon conservation efforts by becoming models for sustainable coastal ecosystem management.