According to the UNEP, coastal blue carbon ecosystems—including mangroves, tidal marshes, and seagrasses—store up to five times more carbon per hectare than tropical forests, yet they continue to be lost at alarming rates. The global annual loss of blue carbon ecosystems is estimated to emit between 150–1,020 million tons of CO₂ per year.

Source : UNEP

The Coastal Blue Carbon project, launched in March 2024, aims to unlock the full potential of Earth Observation (EO) for quantifying and monitoring total carbon stocks in key coastal blue carbon ecosystems, namely mangroves, tidal salt marshes, and seagrasses.

The project pursues two strategic objectives:

1. Scientific and technical optimisation of carbon stock estimation using EO data, synergized with in-situ and modelling data.

2. Delivery of high-level information products, indicators, and MRV-ready tools tailored to the needs of countries and organisations integrating blue carbon into national reporting or voluntary carbon markets.

By actively involving Early Adopters and policymakers, the project is contributing to the emerging global Blue Carbon MRV architecture, and to the design of practical solutions that facilitate integration into carbon accounting frameworks and climate finance instruments.