Milan, May 23, 2025 – At the evocative One Ocean Dome in Piazza XXIV Maggio, the event "Blue Carbon Projects in the Mediterranean – From Pilot Initiatives to Large-Scale Climate Action" brought together experts, researchers, and institutional stakeholders committed to the conservation of Posidonia oceanica meadows—one of the most strategic marine ecosystems in the fight against climate change.

Posidonia oceanica: a natural ally under threat: the Mediterranean Sea, a semi-enclosed basin highly vulnerable to climate change, is warming at twice the global average rate. In this context, Posidonia oceanica meadows represent an essential ecological and climate asset: they can absorb up to 1,500 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per hectare and host around 20% of Mediterranean marine species. Yet over the past 50 years, the region has lost 29% of these meadows, making coordinated action more urgent than ever.

From pilot projects to the challenge of scale: projects like SeaForest LIFE, active in the National Parks of La Maddalena, Asinara, and Cilento, and Blue Forest, carried out in Cala di Volpe (Sardinia), stand as successful examples of marine restoration and conservation. However, the field still lacks the "critical mass" needed to generate large-scale impact.

A key to scaling up lies in the certification of carbon credits linked to Posidonia meadows. Scientific methodologies now exist to credibly quantify avoided and removed emissions through meadow restoration—such as the method developed by the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC) and the University of Tuscia—but none have yet been officially recognized by leading international or national standards.

A strategic dialogue between research, institutions, and standards: the event featured a roundtable moderated by Jan Pachner (One Ocean Foundation) and Andrea Maggiani (Carbonsink), with contributions from prominent voices including Ian Short (Social Carbon), Saverio Maluccio (CREA), and representatives from research institutions such as CMCC and the Universities of Genoa, Sassari, and Tuscia.

Key topics of discussion included: the official recognition of avoidance/removal methodologies; current scientific and operational gaps; the identification of reliable monitoring metrics for credibility and replicability; the need for common guidelines to integrate Posidonia into voluntary carbon and biodiversity markets.

A collaborative ecosystem for marine conservation: speakers from D.R.E.Am. Italia and the Asinara National Park shared insights from the SeaForest project, while Oceancy presented its “Save the Wave” initiative in the Tremiti Islands. The One Ocean Foundation highlighted progress on its Blue Forest project in partnership with academic institutions, including researchers from the Universities of Genoa and Sassari. The event underscored the urgency of building an operational alliance between science, climate finance, and institutions, capable of turning underwater meadows into recognized and remunerated tools for climate mitigation.