Solomon Islands Calls for Stronger National Policies to Unlock Blue Carbon Financing

BANGKOK, THAILAND — At a high-level event hosted by the ESCAP Committee on Environment and Development in Bangkok, Thailand the Solomon Islands, through the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM), has called for stronger National Policies to unlock Blue Carbon financing. Delivering the key note address  Minister Honourable Wayne Osopo Ghemu, emphasizing the urgent need for robust national policy environments to mobilize blue carbon finance.

The event, titled “Accelerating Cooperation for Blue Carbon Finance,” also marked the launch of the Regional Learning and Exchange Platform on Blue Carbon Finance, a collaborative initiative between ESCAP and the Landscape Alliance. This new platform aims to foster regional cooperation and innovative financing solutions for the restoration and protection of vital blue carbon ecosystems, including mangroves, seagrass meadows, and tidal wetlands.

“Blue carbon ecosystems are among the world’s most valuable natural assets,” stated Minister Ghemu. “For Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries, these ecosystems are fundamental to climate resilience, economic development, and the wellbeing of our people”.

Despite their value in sequestering carbon and providing coastal protection, Minister Ghemu noted that investment remains insufficient. He outlined four critical policy priorities to build investor confidence and ensure equitable outcomes:

• Coherent Legal Frameworks: Governments must establish clear strategies that clarify carbon rights and resource governance to attract long-term investment.
• Scientific and Technical Capacity: Robust monitoring systems and ecosystem assessments are essential for making evidence-based investment decisions and ensuring environmental integrity.
• Innovative Financing: Countries should explore diverse mechanisms such as carbon markets, blue bonds, blended finance, and debt-for-nature swaps to mobilize capital.
• People-Centred Approaches: Most importantly, blue carbon initiatives must recognize Indigenous Peoples and coastal communities as genuine partners, ensuring transparent and equitable benefit-sharing arrangements that improve local livelihoods.

The Minister emphasized that no country can unlock the full potential of blue carbon finance alone. He praised the launch of the Regional Learning and Exchange Platform as a practical mechanism to harmonize approaches, share best practices, and strengthen the negotiating position of countries across the Asia-Pacific region.

“Blue carbon finance is far more than an environmental initiative,” Minister Ghemu concluded. “It represents an opportunity to advance climate action, conserve biodiversity, and promote sustainable economic development in an integrated and inclusive manner”.

Ends///
MECDM PRESS