A new analysis of 122 blue carbon guidance documents reveals that many fail to properly address the tenure rights of coastal communities, small-scale fishers, and Indigenous peoples. Published in Nature Climate Change, the study finds that while some documents show openness to different forms of tenure, only a narrow subset of rights are consistently emphasized. Six core international obligations to tenure are overlooked, including the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention. This ambiguity exposes rightsholders to potential land and resource dispossession and exclusion from benefits. The researchers argue that blue carbon projects, which target mangroves, seagrasses, and tidal marshes for carbon storage, often operate in territories where local communities have longstanding claims. Without clear tenure protections, these projects risk becoming a form of green grabbing. The authors recommend that blue carbon guidance adopt a more comprehensive view of tenure, engage with international standards and rights experts, and ensure accountability to rightsholders. This is critical as blue carbon gains traction in national climate plans and carbon markets.
