Blue carbon, The Nature Conservancy

In our goal to keep global warming below 2°C, stronger action is needed. Our current commitments and actions to nationally determined contributions are not enough to limit global temperature rise. However, a powerful tool already exists in nature. Nature-based solutions are critical to human well-being and the stability of the Earth's climate and ecosystems, and the ocean plays an essential role. The ocean is our planet's largest carbon sink, yet faces unprecedented risks due to the increasing impacts of a changing climate. Coastal habitats, also known as blue carbon ecosystems, such as mangroves, salt marshes and seagrasses, are amongst the planet's most effective carbon stores. If protected from further degradation, blue carbon ecosystems sequester CO2 from the atmosphere and can keep it in their biomass and enrich organic soils for thousands of years. Countries must act now to implement and strengthen commitments to include blue carbon ecosystems in their NDCs and climate action plans, and commit to increased transparency for carbon accounting and implementation methods. Commit to incentivise conservation, protection and restoration, reduce exploitation and improve sustainable coastal and marine ecosystem management. Yet we know that we cannot completely stop climate change, as temperatures are increasing and sea levels are rising. 80% of people live within 100km of the ocean and three quarters of the world's megacities are by the sea. Protecting coastal ecosystems can be part of the solution. They absorb incoming wave energy, adapt to rising sea levels and enhance food security in local communities, providing more resilience and often at lower costs than grey infrastructure. The opportunity is there for countries to create climate-smart marine protected areas, include community and local-level participation in national adaption planning, support climate-smart fisheries and small-scale fisheries with ecosystem adaptation management, and to protect and restore coastal ecosystems. We know developing coastal countries on the front lines of ocean and climate change will require increased international finance. Innovative financing, including blue bonds, carbon markets and insurance options, are available from several sources to help coastal nations and communities. The Nature Conservancy estimates upward of 85 countries could use such methods for marine protection. Supporting a sustainable ocean economy can be a source of inspiration to increase ambition and innovation to enhance climate action. A healthy ocean can be the vibrant foundation we need as we look to recover from the devastation of the global pandemic. But governments must undertake more ambitious methods and integrate oceans into their strategies to enable sustainable implementation and financing now. Visit natureforclimate.org forward slash ocean-based solutions for the tools to employ ocean-based goals now.