Brazil highlights blue‑carbon coastal ecosystems in climate agenda

Environmental groups are urging greater focus on “blue carbon” – the CO₂ captured and stored by marine habitats such as mangroves, salt‑marshes and seagrass meadows. On World Oceans Day (8 May), Natali Piccolo of Conservation International noted that “the ocean absorbs about 30 % of global CO₂ emissions and produces more than half of the oxygen we breathe.”

Brazil holds the world’s largest continuous mangrove system along its Amazon‑coast, covering roughly 5.7 million km² – about 40 % of the nation’s territory – and supporting over half of the population that lives in coastal zones. WWF‑Brazil analyst Marina Corrêa warned that “the sea is still, in many ways, the invisible system of Brazilian conservation,” receiving less public, political and financial attention than the Amazon, Cerrado or Atlantic Forest.

Protecting these ecosystems can safeguard biodiversity, sustain artisanal fisheries, and shield coastal communities from erosion and extreme weather. Projects to monetize blue‑carbon must also respect traditional peoples’ territorial rights, ensuring benefits are shared equitably. Degradation not only releases stored carbon but also undermines food security and livelihoods, highlighting the broader climate‑mitigation and social‑justice dimensions of preserving Brazil’s coastal habitats.