ABSTRACT
This chapter explores blue carbon financing by private-sector investors. There is a significant gap between available funding for marine conservation and actual funding for it. Public-sector financing, whether from national governments or international organisations, is currently inadequate. Consequently, increasing levels of private-sector financing will be essential if marine conservation is to be successful. The chapter looks at marine conservatrion, in particular to efforts to sequester carbon in marine sediments and biomass, notably in mangrove forests, saltmarshes, and seagrass beds. This ecosystem service of blue carbon storage has some potential attraction to private investors, including insurers, asset managers, investment funds, and multinational corporations. A variety of funding models have been attempted and implemented, with ‘blue carbon credits’ being the most common. However, many blue carbon projects are unable to attract private investors, while others that are attractive have met with varying degrees of success. To increase and improve outcomes that lead to marine conservation, greater emphasis is needed to value natural assets and to make invest in the local communities surrounding them.
