Stewart-sinclair, Phoebe J., Bulmer, Richard H., Macpherson, Elizabeth, and Lundquist, Carolyn J. (2024) Enabling coastal blue carbon in Aotearoa New Zealand: opportunities and challenges. Frontiers in Marine Science, 11. 1290107.

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Abstract

Blue carbon is the carbon sequestered by coastal and marine habitats such as mangroves, saltmarsh, and seagrasses. The carbon sequestration service provided by these habitats could help to mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as providing other important ecosystem services. Restoration of coastal habitats for the purpose of sequestering blue carbon can generate carbon credits, potentially offsetting the costs of restoration and any lost revenue for landowners. Coastal blue carbon projects have been successfully implemented overseas, but a blue carbon market has not yet been established in Aotearoa New Zealand (ANZ). Here we identify key data gaps that will be necessary to fill to develop a blue carbon market in ANZ. Calculation of carbon abatement through development of a standardised method is the first step and will allow economic assessment of potential restoration sites. Economic assessment will determine if the carbon credits generated will cover restoration costs and lost revenue from restored lands. Once economically feasible potential restoration sites have been identified, prioritisation of sites could be determined by the value of co-benefits produced (i.e., biodiversity). There are also legal uncertainties in ANZ and ownership of the foreshore has been a contentious topic. Current legislation provides that neither the Crown nor any other person owns or can own the common marine and coastal area, although Māori may apply for recognition of customary rights, interests, and title in the area. The legal status of property rights will have significant implications for privately owned land, as it is unclear whether land will be considered foreshore when inundated in future with sea level rise. Here, we discuss further policy enablers including the role of government and the insurance industry that could encourage uptake of carbon projects by private landowners. Filling these gaps in market assessments and recognising the key role of Indigenous owners and customary rights holders to coastal land can facilitate operationalising of coastal blue carbon opportunities in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Item ID:	94435
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	2296-7745
Copyright Information:	© 2024 Stewart-Sinclair, Bulmer, Macpherson and Lundquist. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Date Deposited:	19 Oct 2026 23:51
FoR Codes:	44 HUMAN SOCIETY > 4407 Policy and administration > 440704 Environment policy @ 30% 41 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 4101 Climate change impacts and adaptation > 410101 Carbon sequestration science @ 40% 41 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 4104 Environmental management > 410404 Environmental management @ 30%
SEO Codes:	19 ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY, CLIMATE CHANGE AND NATURAL HAZARDS > 1903 Mitigation of climate change > 190301 Climate change mitigation strategies @ 60% 18 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT > 1802 Coastal and estuarine systems and management > 180201 Assessment and management of coastal and estuarine ecosystems @ 40%
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