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Building Blue Carbon Projects
An Introductory Guide
Carbon, such strategies are particularly important because the concepts are new and so are the
projects themselves.
The Communication and Outreach element ensures that policy makers, coastal managers and
other stakeholders at the project site and nationally can be kept up to date and made fully aware
of the project, its progress, and the value of Blue Carbon. Tasks can include the following:
A Communication and Outreach strategy developed at the beginning of the project that
identifies the sequence of information sharing from the planning through the implementation
and monitoring phases, identifies spokespeople, and engages stakeholders and the general
public;
Assessment of the need for, and development of, different types of informational materials
such as brochures, publications, press kits, and messaging to ensure regular, consistent
communication with local and regional stakeholders, decision makers, experts, and community
leaders;
Development of presentations for relevant workshops, conferences, and other meetings to
engage local, national and international stakeholders and potential proponents; and
Creation and maintenance of a project website to support the Communication and Outreach
strategy, help educate stakeholders and potential allies about Blue Carbon and the project in
particular, and provide regular updates as to progress and outcomes over time.
Information can be derived from formal science (such as carbon assessments) and from local and
traditional knowledge as well. It is important that information flows back and forth from the
stakeholders and any partners responsible for inter connected project elements – hence the need
for continual measurement, assessment, and adaptation.
Blue Carbon Viability Assessment
Subsequent to the results of the Carbon Assessment, Policy and Management Assessment and
other project activities, it is essential to conduct an initial assessment of a project’s potential for
the value of Blue Carbon to be used and result in improved ecosystem management. The Blue
Carbon Viability Assessment element represents a key decision point. This is the opportunity to
take an open-minded, critical, and comprehensive look at the feasibility of a Blue Carbon project.
It has to be clear during the exercise that a positive outcome cannot be assumed.
In order to understand the feasibility for developing a Blue Carbon project, the outputs from the
scientific teams, particularly the carbon accounting and data, need to be combined with other
sectoral, legal, technical, market, and social analyses and presented in a format and structure that
can be certified (such as a Project Design Document (PDD) or documents necessary for other
mechanisms that use the value of Blue Carbon). Activities for the Blue Carbon Viability Assessment
can include the following:
Advising the scientific teams in their carbon assessments, with regard to carbon accounting
and data gathered;
Assessing and analysing the sectoral components and framework of a potential mechanism for
utilizing Blue Carbon values, including the legal, technical, market, and social aspects; and
