Redefining blue carbon with adaptive valuation for global policy

Area of Science:

• Marine ecology
• Climate change science
• Environmental policy

Background:

• Blue carbon, referring to carbon sequestered in marine ecosystems like mangroves, seagrasses, and saltmarshes, lacks a consistent definition.
• Current definitions, often criteria-based on habitat or species, create ambiguity and impede policy integration, particularly for climate change mitigation through carbon trading.
• Standard Setting Organizations (SSOs) for carbon trading impose their own accreditation criteria, which often supersede existing definitions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a redefined concept of blue carbon that aligns with policy application and accreditation criteria.
• To enhance the effectiveness of blue carbon in climate change mitigation, adaptation, and biodiversity conservation.
• To address the definitional uncertainty that hinders the integration of blue carbon into global policy frameworks.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of existing blue carbon definitions and their limitations in policy contexts.
• Examination of accreditation criteria used by Standard Setting Organizations (SSOs) for carbon trading.
• Development of a redefined blue carbon concept incorporating sedimentary carbon stocks and adaptive accreditation.

Main Results:

• A proposed redefinition of blue carbon that includes sedimentary stocks alongside biomass, crucial for long-term carbon storage.
• Alignment of the blue carbon definition with the five key SSO accreditation criteria: baseline, additionality, permanence, leakage, and co-benefits.
• Demonstration of how the redefined concept can support climate mitigation, adaptation, and biodiversity conservation.

Conclusions:

• Redefining blue carbon based on SSO accreditation criteria enhances its policy relevance and practical application.
• Including sedimentary carbon stocks in the definition broadens the scope and potential impact of blue carbon initiatives.
• The proposed redefinition and adaptive accreditation approach offer a pathway for more effective blue carbon utilization in global environmental strategies.