PEMSEA Blue Carbon Program
The East Asian Seas (EAS) region, home to a third of global coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrasses, stands at the forefront of nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation. As a global hotspot for blue carbon ecosystems, these vital habitats – including mangrove forests, seagrass meadows, and tidal marshes – serve as powerful natural carbon sinks while supporting coastal communities and preserving marine biodiversity.
Understanding Blue Carbon's Strategic Importance
Blue carbon ecosystems capture and store significant amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide, distinguishing themselves from terrestrial carbon sinks through their exceptional efficiency and long-term storage capacity. Globally, these ecosystems cover approximately 50 million hectares (193,051 square miles), with the EAS region hosting a substantial portion of this natural capital.
Beyond carbon sequestration, these ecosystems provide critical services that align with national and regional priorities, from coastal protection and food security to sustainable livelihoods and biodiversity conservation
PEMSEA's Blue Carbon Initiatives
Since 2016, PEMSEA has been working with its partners to unlock the full potential of blue carbon ecosystems. Our initiatives include raising awareness through research publications,, organizing learning events, and promoting practical actions on the ground.
In 2017, we published a report called “Understanding Strategic Coastal Blue Carbon Opportunities in the East Asian Seas Region,” produced in collaboration with Global Environment Facility, United Nations Development Programme, TNC, Silvestrum, IUCN, and the Blue Carbon Initiative.
In 2024, PEMSEA country partners agreed to explore Blue Carbon's market and non-market benefits, and supported a regional certification scheme based on the PEMSEA Blue Carbon Roadmap under Action 6 of Healthy and Resilient Ocean synergistic actions of the Xiamen Ministerial Declaration.
The advancement of blue carbon initiatives demonstrates the powerful synergy between scientific research and policy development. Early Blue Carbon science has been crucial to integrating these ecosystems in climate policies and strategies, whilst national and international policy processes play a key role in creating the enabling conditions for science to advance and be able to respond to societal needs.
Moreover, growing evidence has shown the significant potential of these ecosystems is becoming increasingly recognized through the mechanism of carbon markets globally. To tap its maximum potential, it is vital to correctly integrate these ecosystems, some through restoration projects. However, they also require a detailed understanding of the carbon cycle within them.
In the East Asian Seas region, there have been several researches on the Blue Carbon potential of mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass, seaweeds, and tidal flats and eel grass. But while Blue Carbon is becoming more understood from an environmental and macroeconomic perspective, it remains crucially understudied from local perspectives.
The PEMSEA Blue Carbon Program aims to optimize the potential of blue carbon and support the acceleration of a sustainable carbon neutral development, by discussing and addressing crucial questions:
- How can local communities effectively participate in and benefit from blue carbon markets?
- How can a carbon market relying work with the local communities living around these Blue Carbon ecosystems?
PEMSEA's Blue Carbon Program aims to help shed light on the current practices in the EAS region, and unlock potential opportunities to attain the goal of carbon neutrality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
PEMSEA reports and proceedings:
Assessing the supply side of blue carbon in ICM and other local sites in the East Asian Seas region
The report provides an overview of the status and management of Blue Carbon Ecosystems (BCEs) in the East Asia Seas (EAS) region, which includes crucial habitats like mangrove forests, seagrass meadows, salt marshes, seaweed beds, and tidal flats. These ecosystems are key for carbon sequestration, climate regulation, and coastal resilience but are increasingly threatened by human activities such as coastal development and pollution. The study aims to evaluate the status of BCEs in Integrated Coastal Management and other local sites in the region, assess current management practices, and explore the interest in expanding Blue Carbon (BC) programs. A survey conducted across 20 sites in six countries, along with additional data from State of Oceans and Coasts reports, reveals the significant ecological and economic value of BCEs, while also highlighting persistent management challenges. The findings show a strong interest in BC initiatives, particularly in BCE restoration and conservation, and emphasize the need for improved data collection on less-represented BCEs. The report suggests that integrating these findings with market demand assessments will be crucial for developing effective BC programs and supporting sustainable practices in the EAS region.
Type: Report
Proceedings of the Roundtable Discussion on Blue Carbon Accounting in East Asia
The Roundtable Discussion on Blue Carbon Accounting in East Asia was held online via Zoom last June 27, 2023. The small group was composed of select representatives from the PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF) and the PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers (PNLC). The objectives of the small group discussion were to (1) present the concept on PEMSEA Blue Carbon Credit system, including the general mechanism, roles of partners, and services; (2) share existing initiatives on blue carbon by partners COMI-Xiamen University, CCMRS-IPB, MSI-University of the Philippines, Zhejiang University); and, (3) identify challenges and opportunities in blue carbon industry to determine strategic ways forward for PEMSEA in the blue carbon industry.
Type: Proceedings
The Rise of Blue Carbon Credits: A learning exchange on blue carbon initiatives in East Asian Seas
In line with the commemoration of World Ocean Day in June 2023, PEMSEA organized and held the Blue Carbon Regional Forum on June 27, 2023. Over 130 participants attended the online forum through ZOOM and Facebook Livestream. The learning exchange provided an avenue for PEMSEA partners and other development stakeholders in East Asia to share their on-going initiatives on blue carbon, and underscore the importance of having a standard accounting method for blue carbon. The PEMSEA Resource Facility served as the Secretariat to and organizer of the forum.
Type: Event
Understanding Strategic Coastal Blue Carbon Opportunities
Coastal blue carbon is a term that recognizes the role of coastal wetlands in the global carbon cycle. Mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrass meadows (collectively called coastal blue carbon ecosystems) sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere continuously over thousands of years, building stocks of carbon in biomass and organic rich soils. This ecosystem service is in addition to other ecosystem services provided by coastal wetlands that underpin fish stocks, maintain food security and contribute to filtration of sediment, protecting coral reefs and populated coastal lowlands from erosion and flooding.
Type: Publication
Attended by at least 42 participants representing local government units, national government agencies, academe, private sector, local communities, and other key stakeholder groups, the session aimed to revisit the important role that local governments play in designing and implementing innovative blue carbon solutions. The activity became a venue to discuss and share strategies and programs towards integrated marine resource management.
Type: Proceedings
Blue Carbon is gaining currency in recent years as one of the solutions for mitigating climate change. The carbon storing potential of blue carbon should be assessed in a scientifically sound way in order to receive the recognition from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process. In order to achieve the goal, a network of researchers should be formed to collate concerted efforts in demonstrating the potential. The research efforts of blue carbon will significantly enhance the awareness and conservation efforts of global community on key marine ecosystems such as tidal marshes, seagrass meadows, and mangrove forests.
Type: Proceedings
Practical Actions for Advancing Blue Carbon Initiatives
Learn more about the value of blue carbon in East Asia and actionable recommendations for countries to incorporate blue ecarbon ecosystems into integrated coastal management, climate response, biodiversity conservation and blue economy planning.
Type: Publication
PEMSEA joins International Partnership for Blue Carbon
Momentum is growing behind the concept of “blue carbon” and its impact on global carbon emissions contributing to climate change. Environment, research and academic circles have been talking about blue carbon for some time, and now governments are tuning in too. Blue carbon refers to the carbon that is sequestered and stored in the biomass or sediments of coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrass meadows. All three blue carbon ecosystems occur in East Asia and play an important role in food security, livelihoods and the resilience of coastal communities. When blue carbon ecosystems are degraded or lost, they can become significant emission sources, hence the need to improve the management of these ecosystems.
Type: Article
New Report Highlights Importance of Blue Carbon in East Asia
A landmark study released today by Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy examines the science and policy of “blue carbon” in East Asia and the opportunities for countries to advance their commitments to addressing climate change through the conservation and restoration of coastal wetlands.
Type: Article
Strong Interest Drives Push for Blue Carbon Projects Across EAS Region
Blue Carbon Ecosystems (BCEs) are increasingly seen as vital assets for achieving climate goals and pushing for sustainable development worldwide. These ecosystems, including mangroves, seagrass meadows, salt marshes, seaweed beds, and tidal flats are gaining recognition for their roles in carbon sequestration and climate regulation. This growing acknowledgment is fueling a surge in Blue Carbon (BC) projects across the region, emphasizing their potential in mitigating climate change and supporting sustainable practices.
Type: Article
PEMSEA expands participation on Blue Carbon
Blue carbon, the carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrasses, and tidal marshes, is becoming an increasingly important subject in global consideration of climate change mitigation and adaptation. These highly productive ecosystems sequester carbon from the atmosphere, making them important natural carbon sinks. These ecosystems also provide benefits for biodiversity, serving as habitats and nursery grounds for marine species, alongside ecosystem service benefits for local communities, including coastal protection, food security, and livelihood opportunities. Often threatened by human activity, protecting and restoring blue carbon ecosystems is critical for both mitigating climate change and supporting sustainable development.
Type: Article