Coastal wetlands – mangroves, seagrasses and marshlands – remove and store CO2; together with oceans, these ecosystems sequester over half of all the carbon captured by living organisms. However, they are also highly threatened by climate change.
Blue carbon projects present an opportunity to conserve and restore coastal wetlands and also offer additional benefits: they support local communities who can generate income from the sale of carbon credits; protect freshwater resources; provide nursery grounds for fish, and shoreline protection against storms and flooding.
As of yet, the potential of blue carbon projects is underdeveloped as there are still relatively few of them.
The Blue Natural Capital Financing Facility, established by IUCN, the Government of Luxembourg and the TOTAL Foundation has issued a Call for Proposals to provide seed funding for four promising blue carbon projects in developing countries over the coming year. Please click here to view the full announcement and to apply. The deadline for applications is 30 April.