Pathways to nature finance

April 2023

We’ve been talking with seaweed researchers and entrepreneurs in New Zealand and globally to explore the viability of blue carbon methodology for seaweed production.

In the absence of a verified method or market anywhere in the world to monetise blue carbon and nutrient credits from seaweed, we are looking at the potential of establishing a fund as a bespoke ‘environmental subsidy’ for future GreenWave Aotearoa farmers. The goal of the fund would be to provide financial support for regenerative ocean farmers to scale their practices, while incentivising climate impact, water quality and biodiversity data reporting. Such an approach may incentivise ocean farmers to deliver a bundle of ecosystem services from seaweed farming, including carbon sequestration, nutrient mitigation and biodiversity restoration. These restorative practices will create a base for future sustainable industries that put people and the environment first.

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