The Blue Bullet

In 2017, economists and climatologists came together published a report describing the advantages that caring and protecting naturally occurring ecosystems could provide for anthropogenic climate change mitigation and simultaneously coined the term “Natural Climate Solutions” (NCS). NCS encompass “conservation, restoration, and/or improved land management actions that increase carbon storage and/or avoid GHG across global forests, wetlands, grasslands, and agricultural lands.” NCS-based policies can serve as an economic and climate tool for the state of Louisiana by reducing anthropogenically caused greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and providing natural solutions to combat extreme weather to prioritize the well-being of Louisiana and Gulf South residents.

Natural Climate Solutions

In addition to carbon dioxide (CO₂) sequestration, NCS are characterized by specific principles: co-benefits/additionality, permanence, leakage, and double counting. Meeting all of the aforementioned criteria is difficult for even the well-informed policy experts, business executives, climate scientists, and on-the-ground folks that maneuver the physical aspect of the projects. A few hurdles include accurate technology, appropriate regulations, superior societal priorities (such as food insecurity and impoverishment), and a receptive government.

The scientific community generally acknowledges two types of NCS projects: “Green Carbon” and “Blue Carbon”. Often, Green Carbon references green organisms—such as trees, shrubs, grasslands, and soil; while, Blue Carbon references organisms that flourish in water, such as wetlands, mangrove trees, tidal marshes, and sea meadows.

 As optimistic and resourceful as this approach seems, NCS does not yield the capacity to mitigate what life on Earth needs to continue to survive under formerly normal conditions. Mass implementation of these projects is neither feasible nor sufficient compared to current GHG emission concentrations. GHG producers must still drastically reduce their emissions to avoid worst-case scenarios. However, this does not mean that NCS are not worth the time, dedication, and resources; especially in Louisiana.

Blue Carbon in Louisiana

In Louisiana, there is great potential for incorporating more Green Carbon projects, but an even greater potential for Blue Carbon in the wetlands. In fact, 40% of the nation’s total wetland area is along the Louisiana coast. Various entities such as Louisiana State University (LSU), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), and non-profits within and outside of the Gulf South have dedicated time and resources to create assessments and potential technology to move Blue Carbon implementation along Louisiana’s coast economically and socially. Dr. Daniel Friess, a multidisciplinary geoscientist and Tulane professor, says, “In some respects, Louisiana should be one of the easiest places to implement blue carbon strategies - Blue Carbon as a concept even originated from academics in Louisiana! And we have a richness of data and measurements that is the envy of the world. However, it is expensive to implement projects here compared to other parts of the world, so financial viability is challenging.”

Economy and Legislation

            Before getting to commercial potential, it is important to ask whether federal and/or state policies exist to support and regulate a blue carbon market in Louisiana. In total, three such federal initiatives were introduced to Congress. In 2021, two pieces of legislation—the Blue Carbon Protection Acts and the Blue Carbon for Our Planet Act—were introduced to Congress. Even with the Blue Carbon Protection Act’s reintroduction in 2024, neither bill has been enacted into law. Additionally, although it is not explicit legislation, the Louisiana Sea Grant (through the National Sea Grant Program) receives NOAA funding to develop research, policy, and technology with the goal of contributing to coastal science and restoration.  

As for regulatory economic policy, there is one state measure that specifically targets the distribution of funds generated from state owned carbon credit projects and coastal restoration efforts: the Louisiana Outer Continental Shelf Revenues for Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund Amendment, approved by voters in 2024. This created a constitutionally protected trust fund for coastal restoration projects funded by federal revenues from alternative or renewable energy production received by the state.  

Commercialization of Blue Carbon

Anyone (from private owners to large organizations) can participate in the system of buying and selling carbon with the help of various online resources and consultations available online. For example, a 2015 report published by The Climate Trust and Tierra Resources, the estimated revenue is from $400 million to $1.6 billion. The revenue generated can then further assist initiatives through a cycle that prioritizes the longevity of projects to maximize carbon sequestration. As for offsets, according to the report, “Coastal wetland restoration [specifically river diversion and mangrove planting] in Louisiana has the potential to produce over 1.8 million offsets per year - almost 92 million offsets over 50 years.” For Blue Carbon enthusiasts and coastal scientists, the more obvious approach would be the development of strategies to further advance the market and maximize feasibility and on-the-ground implementation.

The People

One organization that works within the political and scientific realms of Blue Carbon is The Water Institute of the Gulf, an interdisciplinary research institution based in Baton Rouge. Since 2022, they have been working to implement Blue Carbon market mechanisms within Louisiana’s private sector in hopes of attracting financial resources for large-scale, long-term endeavors. More recently, one of their projects includes further quantifying Blue Carbon implementation feasibility in Louisiana's wetlands, if the sequestered carbon can be accredited, and the implications of Blue Carbon to the state’s economy. It’s organizations and communities like these whose work informs state legislators and agencies of the laws and programs needed to implement effective NCS across Louisiana.

References

About CWPPRA. (n.d.). Lacoast.gov. https://lacoast.gov/new/about/

Blue Carbon for Our Planet. H.R. 2750, House of Representatives, 2021. (n.d.). https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2750

Blue Carbon Protection Act. H.R. 10491, House of Representatives, 2023. (n.d.). https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/10491/text

Blue Carbon: A Buried Benefit for the Climate - Louisiana Sea Grant. (2019, September 17). Louisiana Sea Grant - Promoting Stewardship of the State’s Coastal Resources through a Combination of Research, Education and Outreach. https://www.laseagrant.org/2019/blue-carbon-buried-benefit/

Ellis, P. W., Page, A. M., Wood, S., Fargione, J., Masuda, Y. J., Carrasco Denney, V., Moore, C., Kroeger, T., Griscom, B., Sanderman, J., Atleo, T., Cortez, R., Leavitt, S., & Cook-Patton, S. C. (2024). The principles of natural climate solutions. Nature Communications, 15(1), 547. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44425-2

Green and blue carbon. (2018). In Proteus Partners (pp. 1–8). UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). https://www.proteuspartners.org/content/uploads/2020/04/Green-and-blue-carbon.pdf

Griscom, B. W., Adams, J., Ellis, P. W., Houghton, R. A., Lomax, G., Miteva, D. A., Schlesinger, W. H., Shoch, D., Siikamäki, J. V., Smith, P., Woodbury, P., Zganjar, C., Blackman, A., Campari, J., Conant, R. T., Delgado, C., Elias, P., Gopalakrishna, T., Hamsik, M. R., & Herrero, M. (2017). Natural Climate Solutions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(44), 11645–11650. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1710465114

Mack, S. K., Yankel, C., Lane, R. R., Day, J. W., Kempka, D., Mack, J. S., Hardee, E., & LeBlanc, C. (2015). Carbon Market Opportunities for Louisiana’s Coastal Wetlands sponsored by. Entergy l The Climate Trust. https://tierraresourcesllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Final-report-for-official-release-1.pdf

Quantifying Blue Carbon in Coastal Louisiana Wetlands for Potential Accreditation - The Water Institute. (2022). Thewaterinstitute.org. https://thewaterinstitute.org/projects/bluecarbon

Restore the Mississippi River Delta. (n.d.). Coastal Land Loss in the Mississippi River Delta. Restore the Mississippi River Delta. https://mississippiriverdelta.org/our-coastal-crisis/land-loss/

Scott, M., & Lindsey, R. (2022, September 29). Understanding blue carbon. Www.climate.gov. https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/understanding-blue-carbon

The Nature Conservancy. (n.d.). Natural Climate Solutions. The Nature Conservancy. https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-insights/perspectives/natural-climate-solutions/

What Is Blue Carbon? | Trace. (2022, October). Www.our-Trace.com. https://www.our-trace.com/blog/blue-carbon