Seaweed is an unlikely climate champion, providing inputs for a range of low-carbon products that can help decarbonize the economy while supporting efforts to rapidly reduce atmospheric levels of carbon emissions. This nature-based climate solution also has enormous potential to contribute to a restored ocean that is teeming with life. As one of the lowest trophic levels, it can help regenerate ocean biodiversity and support nutrient cycles.
While the many benefits of seaweed are becoming well-known, they are rarely expressed together to provide a complete picture of its potential. Recognition of seaweed’s role as a climate solution, including through inclusion in countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions, will be key to scale up new seaweed businesses and restoration initiatives to help support seaweed pioneers and entrepreneurs.
This vision statement positions seaweed, or marine macroalgae, as a significant nature-based climate solution with large scaling potential that can directly sequester carbon and indirectly displace greenhouse gas emissions in numerous ways, with clear economic and ecological co-benefits that make it a form of “charismatic carbon” and a holistic nature-based climate solution.