WWF and Hatch Blue announce Open Innovation Challenge to Advance Technologies for High-Integrity Blue Carbon Solutions, supported by EDB.
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Singapore and Hatch Blue, with support from the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) today announced the premiere of Blue Catalyst, an open innovation challenge designed to unlock technological solutions to scale high-quality blue carbon ecosystems across Asia and beyond.
Blue carbon ecosystems, such as mangroves, seagrasses, peatlands and coastal wetlands, are among the planet’s most powerful natural climate solutions, storing carbon up to four times more efficiently than terrestrial forests. Mangroves buffer coastal communities from storms, support rich biodiversity, and in Singapore alone, provide habitat for over 3,000 insect species*. These ecosystems not only sequester carbon at scale but also safeguard US $800 billion in food security and livelihoods annually. Yet, 40% of mangrove-dependent species are already threatened globally. Carbon markets are emerging as a key financing mechanism to restore these ecosystems. Valued at US $1.4 billion in 2024, they are projected to grow to as much as US $35 billion by 2030** .High-integrity carbon markets can generate reliable revenue streams by pricing both the carbon sequestered and the co-benefits to communities and biodiversity.
As demand for nature-based credits rises, the success of blue carbon projects hinges on trust and scalability, making innovation, technology, and collaboration more critical than ever.
