A previous version of this article mistakenly stated that Carbon180 has allocated $100,000 in awards. This has been updated to reflect the award fund is $300,000, with each selected organization receiving $100,000.
Carbon180 is set to award $300,000 in financial support to three organizations that will ensure the inclusion and protection of local communities in marine carbon dioxide (mCDR) deployment plans.
The Coastal Community Regranting Initiative award will go to three organizations active in Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, and each organization will receive $100,000.
This regranting initiative builds on three years of experience, during which Carbon180 awarded financial backing to two cohorts of environmental justice organizations positioned across six different regions in the United States.
Each of the organizations in the cohorts has since leveraged the knowledge gained from Carbon180’s regranting initiative to engage on policy and implementation in their communities.
The Coastal Community Regranting Initiative aims to equip coastal communities most likely to be impacted by mCDR deployments with tools and resources that promote meaningful community engagement and fair implementation of mCDR projects.
Carbon180’s approach addresses the unfamiliarity of coastal communities with carbon removal topics and ensures that policy and implementation are rooted in real, on-the-ground conditions.
The three organizations approved for the coastal community regranting initiative are the Community Leaders and mCDR (CLaM) Project in Alaska, the ʻĀina Momona project in Hawaiʻi, and the Institute for Socio-Ecological Research (ISER Caribe) in Puerto Rico.
The CLaM project will bring together Alaska fishermen, Indigenous groups, and scientists to discuss ocean issues and the mCDR potential in this region. The project will host roundtables, looking to deliver policy recommendations for lawmakers on governing mCDR while safeguarding ecosystems and coastal communities.
Relevant: Carbon180 Is Looking To Fund US Organizations Exploring Ocean-Based CDR
ʻĀina Momona, on the other hand, is focused on restoring traditional Hawaiian land and water management systems, integrating ancestral knowledge with modern conservation science.
As part of their mCDR project, they will conduct surveys and focus groups with fishing communities, cultural practitioners, and youth across Hawaii, establishing baseline awareness and addressing concerns around mCDR.
Puerto Rico-headquartered ISER Caribe operates the island’s first land-based coral, sea urchin, and herbivorous crab nurseries, working on ecosystem restoration projects that enable CO2 sequestration.
With the support from Carbon180, ISER Caribe will create a mangrove nursery pilot project, pairing it with community education about blue carbon strategies and other carbon removal approaches.
Read more: Fugro And Ocean Visions Partner On Novel Framework For Responsible mCDR
