Coastal Wetland Blue Carbon Policy Research in Aotearoa

The Coastal Wetland Blue Carbon Policy Research in Aotearoa report was commissioned to look at the barriers and opportunities for enabling blue carbon projects in New Zealand to participate in blue carbon markets.

Blue carbon credits

The revenue from blue carbon credits can support landholders of restoration projects, turning conservation into sustainable and profitable livelihoods for local communities.

Enabling blue carbon projects to participate in international markets will help communities, landowners, and mana whenua build resilience to climate change.

Overcoming barriers

Policy and regulatory barriers can be overcome with effective engagement with local and central government using existing settings, however there are complexities that could be addressed with further research and potential legislative change in the future.

Legal barriers can be overcome by effective engagement with all stakeholders and parties, as well as legal agreements between all parties for carbon rights, land ownership and equitable benefit-sharing.

However, this is a complex area that may require further work to enable scaling of blue carbon projects.