Stories and Solutions

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Oceanic Blue Carbon Initiaitive
GRID-Arendal developed an “Oceanic Blue Carbon”
initiative to answer the UN’s call for innovative solutions
to address the climate change challenge and prevent
global biodiversity loss. This initiative focuses on the
potential role that all marine life – from large vertebrates,
such as whales, sharks and tuna to smaller invertebrates,
such as krill and squid – can play in reducing the effects
of climate change. These animals fix carbon in surface
waters and transport it to deep waters through multiple
carbon-related processes. In November, GRID-Arendal
was invited to present this concept at the Global Ocean
Commission’s High Seas Meeting. New proposals are
being developed and funding has been secured from the
or an
educational video to be produced in 2016.
Reports and Publications
GRID-Arendal is conducting a feasibility study for blue
carbon in West Africa – Blue Carbon West Africa – in
conjunction with the
The intent of the report is to allow the Abidjan Secretariat
to evaluate where projects might be easily started, or
included in on-going efforts. Case studies will highlight
success stories and lessons learned from the region. This
report is being completed in partnership with Coastal and
Ocean Policy Programme at the Nicholas Institute for
Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University. A full
draft will be submitted to the secretariat in June 2016.
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton speaking at the
launch of the Blue Guardians initiative, New York City
“The best climate and geospatial technologies
often are prohibitively expensive for many of
these nations. So today, Digital Globe with
their partners in Blue Guardians [Clinton
Climate Initiative] and including SIDS
DOCK, Conservation International, GRID-
Arendal, and World Bank, and the Global
Environment Facility are committing to
provide the key elements necessary for these
states to develop national resilience strategies
and to build a pipeline of investment projects
to increase coastal resilience […] Through this
commitment […] Blue Guardians will drive
a wave of sustainable development into these
economies, increase the resilience of the islands
in the face of a changing climate, and hopefully
spur others to follow suit.”
Extract from an email from the Kinship Foundation, June
2015, regarding the webinar Blue Carbon and Beyond:
Linking Marine Ecosystem Services with Markets and
Decision-Making
“Just wanted to quickly say thank you – the
content was rich, interesting, and engaging. […]
I really hope that we’ll have another chance to
collaborate soon! I enjoyed it immensely!”
Photo: Clinton Climate Initiative