Using Blue Carbon as a nature-based solution to enhance the management and carbon accounting of coastal ecosystems through international collaboration

Photo of Ocracoke Island wetlands Credit: Sean Bath

Accurate and transparent tracking and reporting of coastal blue carbon in national inventories, alongside robust management and restoration of coastal ecosystems, is essential to many countries’ plans and international commitments around climate change adaptation and mitigation. However, many countries lack sufficient data, capacity, and expertise to achieve these objectives. The NOAA Blue Carbon Inventory (BCI) Project works with partner countries to advance the development of climate change mitigation, coastal wetland management, and resilience strategies that reflect the societal and climate value of coastal wetlands. This U. S.-based multi-agency effort led by NOAA, in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, leverages ongoing programs within NOAA to inventory and manage coastal blue carbon ecosystems, the new and ongoing work of partners such as Silvestrum Climate Associates, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other federal agencies and organizations working on blue carbon.