[Carbon Market Trends Brief] Will the Expansion of Seagrass Blue Carbon in Korea Emerge as a New Supply Source for VCM? > 게시글

 

 

Carbon Market Trends Brief (1rd Week of March 2026)
• Local governments, including Incheon and Wando, are expanding seagrass restoration projects, raising the possibility of creditizing blue carbon-based carbon sinks.
• The decline of existing seagrass colonies in Jeju’s coastal areas highlights the urgent need to verify net gain effects and long-term absorption stability. 

 

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Recently, local governments have been pushing policies to expand blue carbon using marine ecosystems—such as seagrass, tidal flats, and seaweed—while preparing for links to the carbon market. In particular, as large-scale R&D projects and corporate collaborations proceed in tandem, the potential for industrialization is gaining traction. However, the reduction of indigenous seagrass observed in Jeju’s coastal waters underscores the ecological instability of blue carbon. Consequently, verifying "permanence" will be a critical challenge in the process of future market integration. 

 

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Expanding Initiatives by Local Governments: Positioning Blue Carbon on the Policy and Industrial Agenda
Incheon City is strengthening its strategy to secure blue carbon by leveraging tidal flats and marine ecosystems, exploring the industrial potential of seaweed and seagrass-based carbon sinks. Wando County is also building a scalable model through the establishment of seagrass nurseries, preparing for carbon trading linkages under the premise that the IPCC will expand its recognition of these carbon sinks.
This flow suggests that blue carbon could emerge as a Nature-based Solutions (NbS) credit option available in the domestic Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM). Specifically, since seagrass and seaweed projects are being developed alongside local government-led management systems and research data, they have the potential to function as high-quality credits that meet the carbon-neutral demands of domestic companies—provided that methodologies and certification systems are refined. This could lead to reducing reliance on overseas credits and diversifying domestic project-based portfolios. 
 

 

Jeju: A One-Third Decline in Seagrass – The Instability of Ecological Foundations
An analysis of 11 indigenous seagrass habitats along the coast of Jeju revealed that the total area has decreased to approximately one-third of levels recorded in previous studies. Furthermore, the average length of the seagrass has been halved, confirming a significant deterioration in growth conditions.
Rising water temperatures and increased grazing by subtropical fish species have been identified as primary causes. Research also indicates a low level of genetic diversity in these populations. Regardless of the ongoing discussions to expand blue carbon, these findings suggest that the foundation of carbon sinks could be weakened if the maintenance and restoration of existing ecosystems are not prioritized.
The requirement of "permanence," a core criterion for nature-based credits, applies equally to marine ecosystems. Therefore, securing long-term ecological stability and robust management systems—rather than merely expanding the restoration area—is emerging as a critical challenge.

 

 

Implications
• Potential for Diversifying Korea’s Nature-Based Credit Portfolio
The expansion of seagrass restoration led by local governments indicates that blue carbon could serve as a major pillar of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) credits generated within Korea. Once a formal certification system is established, it will provide an additional supply option to meet the carbon-neutral demands of domestic companies. This represents an opportunity to expand the current forest-centric portfolio into marine ecosystem-based assets, offering VCM (Voluntary Carbon Market) developers a high-potential area for diversifying domestic project bases.

 

• Growing Importance of Ecological Risk Management
The decline of existing seagrass colonies serves as a reminder that simply increasing total area is insufficient to meet the requirements for high-quality credits. For blue carbon to evolve into a tradable asset, scientific verification of net gain effects and long-term storage stability must be conducted in parallel. This implies that monitoring and management systems must be strengthened from the project design stage, as these factors will ultimately determine market credibility and trust.

 

 

 

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