Global potential and limits of mangrove blue carbon for climate change mitigation

Despite the outsized role of mangrove forests in sustaining biodiversity, ecosystem function, and local livelihoods, the protection of these vital habitats through blue carbon financing has been limited.(1,2) Here, we quantify the extent of this missed conservation and financial opportunity, showing that the protection of-20% of the world's mangrove forests (2.6 Mha) can be funded through carbon financing. Of these investible areas, 1.1-1.3 Mha can be financially sustainable over a 30-year time frame based on carbon prices of US$5-9.4 t(-1)CO(2)e. This contributes up to 29.8 MtCO(2)e year(-1) and yields a return on investment of similar to US$3.7 billion per year. Our results point toward a disproportionately large potential of blue carbon finance that can be leveraged to meet national-level climate mitigation goals, particularly if combined with other conservation interventions that further safeguard carbon stocks and biodiversity in these irreplaceable forests. Robust information on return on investment highlights the potential for currently underutilized tropical coastal carbon credit projects.

Automated summary

The study shows that protecting 20% of the world's mangrove forests through carbon financing can be financially sustainable, with 1.1-1.3 million hectares potentially achieving this over a 30-year period. This initiative could reduce up to 29.8 million tons of CO2 emissions annually and generate a return on investment of nearly $3.7 billion per year.