The role of the UN in promoting science-policy-society dialogue to accelerate the protection of coastal blue carbon ecosystems globally

Coastal blue carbon ecosystems – mangroves, seagrasses and tidal marshes – are the most efficient natural carbon sinks on Earth on a per area basis, which makes them a key component of nature-based solutions to climate change mitigation. These ecosystems provide a wide range of additional benefits, contributing to climate change adaptation, biodiversity, ocean economies and livelihoods of coastal communities.

In line with its mission to promote international cooperation in ocean science to improve management of the ocean, coasts and marine resources, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO has supported scientific efforts aimed at increasing knowledge of the potential of coastal blue carbon ecosystems for climate change mitigation and adaptation for over a decade. Since 2010, the IOC has co-sponsored the Blue Carbon Initiative together with Conservation International and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

As the scientific understanding was increasing and the policy request for guidance on blue carbon action increased, IOC joined Australia as one of the founding Partners of the International Partnership for Blue Carbon (IPBC) in 2015,  and since 2020 is sharing the Coordinator role with the Australian Government. The aim of the Partnership is to provide an open forum for governments (currently 18) to connect with experts and practitioners in the field of blue carbon, including the BCI, allowing for an open dialogue between science and policy with the aim to strengthen global action towards the protection of these ecosystems. Building on the collaboration initiated within the IPBC, a group of countries following the leadership of France have formed a High-Level Ambition Group on blue carbon (HILAG), which aims at enhancing commitments to better integrate blue carbon efforts in the ocean-climate-biodiversity nexus at the highest political level and to develop innovative public-private finance approaches to accelerate blue carbon project development and showcase best practices.

The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030, the Ocean Decade) has recently provided an additional opportunity for blue carbon scientists and experts from across the world to come together under the common framework of the Global Ocean Decade Programme for Blue Carbon (GO-BC), where IOC, the BCI and the IPBC are all partners to ensure blue carbon efforts are streamlined globally, while enhancing the scientific capacity worldwide implemented at the regional level. In line with the objectives of the Ocean Decade’s Challenge 10 "Restore society's relationship with the ocean", the IOC has also engaged local communities in ocean literacy and citizen science initiatives to empower them in becoming ocean stewards. Through strategic collaboration with local institutions, partners, and experts as part of the Save the Wave project, these efforts aim to strengthen society’s connection to the ocean, complementing the other initiatives at the science-policy interface.