BLUE CARBON AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS: UNLEASHING THE UNTAPPED POTENTIAL OF COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS FOR GLOBAL CLIMATE RESILIENCE

AUTHOR – TUSHAR SUTAR, STUDENT AT AMITY LAW SCHOOL, AMITY UNIVERSITY, MUMBAI

BEST CITATION – TUSHAR SUTAR, BLUE CARBON AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS: UNLEASHING THE UNTAPPED POTENTIAL OF COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS FOR GLOBAL CLIMATE RESILIENCE, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 5 (9) OF 2025, PG. 69-81, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

This article is published in the collaborated special issue of Amity Law School, Amity University, Mumbai and the Institute of Legal Education (ILE), titled “Emerging Trends in Law: Exploring Recent Developments and Reforms” (ISBN: 978-81-986345-1-1).

Abstract

As global efforts to combat climate change intensify, blue carbon ecosystems coastal vegetated habitats that sequester significant amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide, have emerged as a critical, yet underutilized, asset in achieving sustainable development and climate mitigation goals. Despite their ecological and economic significance, the legal frameworks governing blue carbon remain fragmented, inconsistent, and insufficiently equipped to ensure long-term protection, equitable management, and climate resilience. This article critically examines the intersection of blue carbon governance and international environmental law, exposing legal ambiguities, jurisdictional challenges, and human rights concerns that undermine effective stewardship. Employing a doctrinal and comparative methodology, it interrogates gaps within existing regimes such as UNCLOS, the Paris Agreement, and voluntary carbon markets, while advocating for the urgent development of adaptive, rights-based, and equity-focused legal instruments. The study proposes an integrated, forward-looking legal framework that recognizes blue carbon ecosystems as “blue gold” essential to planetary health, socio-economic resilience, and climate justice. It outlines strategic pathways, including the establishment of universal legal definitions, integration of blue carbon into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), community-centered governance structures, and the deployment of innovative insurance and finance mechanisms. Ultimately, the article contends that strengthening blue carbon law is not merely an environmental necessity but a transformative legal opportunity capable of realigning global legal systems with the imperatives of oceanic stewardship, sustainability, and intergenerational equity.