Story | 09 Dec, 2021

The Blue Carbon Policy Project is operational

Striving to make international policies coherent and aligned, to accelerate coastal ecosystem conservation.

Photo: Shaun Wolfe / Ocean Image Bank

International policy processes, such as the UN negotiations on climate change, biodiversity and sustainable development, have the potential to enhance coastal conservation, restoration and sustainable use of coastal ecosystems. Each process and its outcomes address one part of this issue, however no single process addresses the full suite of issues and solutions for conservation of coastal ecosystems and their multiple benefits.

The goal of the Policy Framework for Blue Carbon Ecosystems is to facilitate alignment across global policy processes to enhance conservation, restoration and sustainable management of coastal ecosystems.

Several of the project's recommendations for advancing action on the ocean under the UNFCCC were reflected in the COP 26 decision text, including the establishment of an annual dialogue to strengthen ocean-based action and guidance to the bodies of the UNFCCC to integrate and strengthen ocean-based action within their workplans and mandates.

The project: Policy Framework for Blue Carbon Ecosystems

To make progress towards the vision of alignment across global policy processes to enhance conservation, restoration and sustainable management of coastal ecosystems, the Policy Framework for Blue Carbon Ecosystems has developed an overarching framework for achieving enhanced coastal conservation via international policy processes.

The Project also works with governments, UN bodies and other stakeholders to achieve better global outcomes for coastal habitats.

The framework

To ensure conservation, restoration and sustainable management of coastal ecosystems, it is imperative to leverage synergies across international policy processes to: