Australia will join the Mangrove Alliance for Climate, further strengthening the country’s global leadership on climate action and blue carbon.
The Alliance aims to increase and accelerate conservation, restoration and plantation efforts of mangrove ecosystems to help combat climate change and support adaptation. Mangroves absorb significant amounts of carbon and can be a key contributor to global action on climate change.
Australia’s announcement that it would join other nations in protecting and restoring mangroves came after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched the initiative at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt. The Alliance is a joint UAE and Indonesia initiative.
The goal of the Alliance is to increase the global area of mangrove habitat by 20% by 2030.
Climate Change and Energy Minister, Chris Bowen, said Australia was proud to be part of the Alliance.
‘Australia recognises the crucial role mangroves can play in global climate change mitigation and also the broad benefits they bring in climate resilience, biodiversity, tourism, indigenous communities and job opportunities.
‘Australia is home to some of the world’s most significant mangrove stocks, and we want to be a world leader in efforts to protect and restore them.’
At the UN Oceans Conference earlier this year, Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek, announced Australia will help restore blue carbon ecosystems across Australia, including mangroves, by investing $9.5 million to support 5 new practical restoration projects.
‘Mangroves provide habitats for countless animal species, reduce coastal flooding and even improve water quality.
‘These ecosystems are significantly better at storing carbon than terrestrial forests’, the Minister said.
Joint media release: Australia joins International Mangrove Alliance for Climate
