The International Partnership for Blue Carbon (IPBC) connects government agencies with non-governmental organisations, intergovernmental organisations and research institutions from around the world, with a joint vision to protect, sustainably manage and restore global coastal blue carbon ecosystems contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, biodiversity, ocean economies and livelihoods of coastal communities. The Partnership is not a funding body, but instead aims to better connect the efforts of governments, research organisations and non-government organisations. It also aims to build on the significant initiatives already under way in this area.
The Partnership was launched at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris in 2015 by nine founding Partners and has since expanded to 50 Partners in 2022.
PURPOSE-LED
01
VISION
The Partnership’s vision is for all global coastal blue carbon ecosystems (mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrasses) to be protected, sustainably managed or restored – contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, biodiversity, ocean economies and livelihoods of coastal communities.
02
MISSION
The mission of the Partnership is to provide an open forum for government agencies, non-governmental organisations, intergovernmental organisations and research institutions to connect, share and collaborate to build solutions, take actions, and benefit from the experience and expertise of the global community.
03
IMPACT
The Partnership’s desired impact is for all countries with blue carbon ecosystems to have established policies for the long-term conservation of blue carbon ecosystems and to be implementing management plans or restoration projects.
04
GOALS
To achieve the Partnership’s impact, Partnership activities are directed towards contributing to three goals:
- Increased international commitments to protect coastal blue carbon ecosystems
- Improved national policies to conserve, protect and restore coastal blue carbon ecosystems
- Accelerated on-the-ground implementation of blue carbon conservation, protection and restoration activities
WHO ARE OUR PARTNERS?
Partners are government agencies, non-governmental organisations, intergovernmental organisations, regional organisations and research institutions that share a joint vision to protect, sustainably manage and restore global coastal blue carbon ecosystems contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, biodiversity, ocean economies and livelihoods of coastal communities.
Partners hold an extensive range and depth of knowledge and expertise on blue carbon science, policy development or program implementation are willing to share their expertise and collaborate on global solutions. Partners have ambition to contribute to international efforts to protect, sustainably manage and restore global coastal blue carbon ecosystems and will benefit directly from being connected with the diverse expertise offered by the Partnership.
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS
INTERGOVERNMENTAL
RESEARCH ORGANISATIONS
COORDINATING GROUP AND GOVERNANCE
The Coordinator works closely with the Coordinating Group and is responsible for day-to-day management of the Partnership, including logistical support for Partnership activities and communication with Partners and other stakeholders.
The Coordinating Group is responsible for guiding the development and implementation of the strategic direction of the Partnership, the roadmap of activities and confirming new members to the Partnership. The Coordinating Group is comprised of five members, with an effort to reflect the geographic and sectoral diversity of the Partnership.
The current members of the Coordinating Group are: Australia (Coordinator), Conservation International, Centre for International Forestry Research, GRID-Arendal, and Secretariat for the Pacific Regional Environment Programme.
Read more about the International Partnership for Blue Carbon in our strategic documents below.
CASE STUDY
GLOBAL OCEAN TRUST
“Towards sustainable blue infrastructure finance”
Photo: Courtesy Blue Ventures
Read more about how Global Ocean Trust Founder, and IPBC finance focal group member Torsten Thiele, helped lead a new approach to sustainable blue infrastructure finance.
Global Ocean Trust (GOT) is an NGO with a passion for “ocean solutions”. GOT draws on expertise in finance and engagement with leading conservation organisations to show that sustainable blue finance is not only possible, but also economically viable and critical to deliver marine conservation solutions at speed and scale.
So when GOT founder and IPBC finance focal group member Torsten Thiele was asked by The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to help develop a guidance document on Blue Infrastructure Finance, he did not hesitate. The document would help formulate a new approach to integrating nature-based solutions for coastal resilience projects.
Together with Dorothée Herr of IUCN and the larger team of the Blue Natural Capital Financing Facility (BNCFF), an expert team of co-authors, including specialists from the public and private sectors in finance, conservation and engineering, was assembled to draft the report. In the ensuing drafting effort the team’s practical experience, recent research and literature, and environmental ecosystem impact assessments were all discussed and considered to ensure that the new guidance document was thorough and developed from a multi-disciplinary perspective.
The initial draft was then discussed at a full day workshop at the margins of UNFCCC COP25 in Madrid, allowing new participants, together with the authors, to scrutinise the concepts. As a result, the full paper could draw on rich experience and knowledge.
Thanks to support from the Government of Sweden the study was concluded quickly and published in 2020 both in full, and as a 16-page summary.
The document aims to offer a critical perspective on how the large financial flows in infrastructure finance can best be used to support blue nature-based solutions and has been widely discussed since.
The publication of the report helped to validate the GOT approach. As a small NGO its unique perspective on financial ocean solutions can only have impact if multi-sector stakeholders including governments, public institutions, science, civil society and the private sector co-operate with a common goal in mind.
By supporting important conservation efforts and working with ocean leaders, GOT aims to help clarify concepts and encourage new approaches. Engaging with IUCN, IPBC, GMA, BCI and other blue carbon initiatives as well as broader ocean initiatives such as the Ocean-Climate Platform, the High Level Panel for Sustainable Ocean Economy and the Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative allows GOT to be part of a wider movement for ocean solutions.
