Blue Carbon Plus (BC+) scales blue carbon-positive business models. Our models are rooted in local communities and attract private investment for conservation and restoration.
Why Blue Carbon Plus?
Coastal blue carbon ecosystems - mangroves, seagrasses, tidal marshes and macroalgae - cover just 0.2% of the world’s surface but are one of the most powerful tools to fight climate change. Protecting these ecosystems stabilizes the climate and benefits 3 billion people who rely on them for food security, shelter and income.
But these ecosystems are at risk. 50% the world’s salt marshes and nearly 35% of all seagrasses have disappeared over the last century. As coastal ecosystems disappear, they release 2 billion metric tons of carbon each year – more than all the planes, trains and cars in the United States.
BC+ offers a solution. There are three key components to our impact:
Scaling local business models that conserve coastal ecosystems and biodiversity.
Supporting community-based solutions that generate economic and place-based benefits.
Building bridges with investors to help businesses succeed.
How it Started
BC+ was launched in 2024 by Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy. We leverage the global outreach, scientific expertise, financial acumen and over a century of combined experience of these founding organizations to help emerging businesses grow their operations and positively impact the environment. BC+ currently engages with governments, local stakeholders and investors to accelerate coastal conservation at scale.
Our grantee partners find innovative solutions to overcome key systemic bottlenecks.
Our private sector partners provide the investment and technical assistance for businesses to succeed.
Our Impact
By 2050, this initiative is anticipated to influence and contribute to:
20 or more BC+ businesses receiving at least $50M in early-stage venture capital.
$50M or more in blue economy finance disbursed.
The conservation and restoration of up to 16.9 million hectares of mangrove, tidal marsh, and seagrass.
Climate benefits up to 2.2 billion tonnes CO2e.
Increased incomes for more than 100 million people.
This work is supported by the Ocean Resilience & Climate Alliance (ORCA) through the generous contributions of its funding partners.
Funding
The Ocean Resilience and Climate Alliance (ORCA), a collaboration of 13 donors, has committed 30 million USD to BC+ to develop phase one of the project, including initial scoping and implementation of the first few business models.
To meet the program’s full potential and 2050 outcomes, we aim to raise an additional USD $20.5 million to reach our overall goal of USD $50 million.
Raised: $30 Million
Goal: $50 Million
Opportunities
Saltwater Agriculture Project Funding Window
Call for Applications for Organizations Engaged in Halophyte Production
The application window is now closed.
Who We Are
BC+ Executive Council
Carsten Krome
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Carsten Krome is the Managing Partner at Hatch Blue, a venture capital firm focused on investing in technologies promoting sustainable production of farmed and alternative seafood. Hatch catalyses farmed and alternative seafood innovation through investment, expertise, insights and by building a strong, committed innovation community.
Daniela Raik
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As the Executive Vice President of Field Programs, Daniela leads the delivery of Conservation International’s conservation impact in nearly 30 countries worldwide. Daniela directs the organization’s efforts to maximize nature as a climate solution, expand ocean conservation and advance models of sustainable development that maintain natural capital while generating benefits for people.
Lysa Wini
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Lysa Wini is Solomon Islands Programming Manager at Nia Tero, a Council Member of the Mangrove Breakthrough Council, and Researcher PhD Student at University of Strathclyde. Lysa collaborates with Indigenous communities in the Solomon Islands, focusing on incorporating Indigenous knowledge into decision-making processes. She is using an interdisciplinary approach to examine how working colonial maritime legacies shape the present issues in ocean governance.
Matthew Arnold
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Matt Arnold is Global Head, Impact Finance & Markets at The Nature Conservancy. Matt oversees the Conservancy’s NatureVest, Corporate Engagement, Sustainable Sovereign Debt and Carbon Markets teams, collectively working to deliver impactful conservation outcomes to achieve The Nature Conservancy’s 2030 goals.
Peter Bryant
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Peter Bryant is a Program Director at Builders Initiative, where he leads environmental grantmaking, impact investing and strategic partnerships for the Builders Initiative Ocean Initiative. He collaborates with both internal and external stakeholders when crafting grants and impact investments that reflect key ocean themes, including sustainable fisheries, seaweed and shellfish aquaculture, ocean conservation, and climate resilience.
BC+ Core Team
Emily Landis, Strategy Lead
Emily Pidgeon, Strategy Advisor
Robert Jones, Strategy Advisor
Jennifer Howard, Strategy Lead
Christine McClung, Program Director
Kiran Mohanan, Program Director
Julia Kim, Program Coordinator
Katherine Fonseca, Program Coordinator
Liam Flockhart Ford, Program Coordinator
Questions? Contact Us.
Use the form below to get connected to a member of our team.
Frequently Asked Questions
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BC+ prioritizes businesses in mangrove, seagrass, tidal marsh and macroalgae ecosystems.
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BC+ engages with grantees that are scalable, community centered and climate focused. We look for partners interested in sectoral collaboration - sharing and learning from each other to address systemic bottlenecks.
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Open funding windows will be listed under the “Opportunities” section of the website. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates when new opportunities are listed.
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BC+ periodically releases calls for applications (CFAs) for blue carbon ecosystem-positive businesses. CFAs will be posted on our website. BC+ currently provides grant finance of USD 200K over one year.
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Partners that are selected to submit a full application will work together with the BC+ team to co-design the project. Proposal, budget development, review and co-design typically take two to four weeks. Then the grantee partner is connected to our fiscal sponsor. This connection to fund disbursement is typically another four weeks.
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Funding is aimed at addressing systemic barriers that hinder scaling. By encouraging learning and knowledge-sharing between partners, we hope to create meaningful, sector-wide impact.
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85% of donor funding directly supports partners on the ground in developing impactful business models, while the remaining 15% covers the operational costs of the program.
