Rome, 28 November 2025

As part of the Final Conference of the LIFE SeaForest project, a high-level panel titled “Implementing a Blue Carbon Model in Europe” will convene on Friday, 28 November 2025, at the ISPRA Conference Hall in Rome. The session will gather leading scientists, policymakers, and carbon-market experts to discuss the barriers and opportunities for scaling Posidonia oceanica preservation and restoration across the Mediterranean.

Over the past years, the SeaForest Consortium, supported by the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC) and the University of Tuscia, has developed a rigorous methodology to quantify carbon emissions avoided and removed through seagrass restoration. Despite this scientific progress, the consortium was unable to identify a high-integrity carbon standard capable of endorsing the methodology, reflecting a broader challenge faced by Blue Carbon initiatives in Europe. Existing standards, such as the French Méthode Herbiers de Posidonie under Label Bas-Carbone, remain underused, with only a small number of projects successfully applying them.

Against this backdrop, the panel aims to explore viable pathways for unlocking the potential of Blue Carbon in voluntary carbon markets—an area of growing interest for European climate strategies. Discussions will highlight strengths and weaknesses of current frameworks, market dynamics, and the conditions needed to ensure environmental integrity and market uptake.

A Diverse Line-up of Speakers: the panel brings together prominent voices from research institutions, regional governments, EU bodies, and carbon-market organizations: Simone Bonamano (University of Tuscia & CMCC) – Marine researcher and co-architect of the SeaForest carbon accounting methodology; Matteo Bellotta (CMCC) – Expert in climate-resilient ecosystem services and member of the Italian COP29 delegation, contributing to AFOLU negotiations; Soledad Vivas (Regional Government of Andalusia) – Coordinator of marine conservation policies and leader in Blue Carbon initiatives under LIFE Blue Natura; Ignacio Hernández (University of Cádiz) – Head of the Blue Carbon Laboratory and advisor to the Andalusian Climate Change Office; Rodrigo Ataíde Dias (European Commission, DG MARE) – Policy coordinator shaping the EU’s Sustainable Blue Economy and Horizon Europe research priorities; Alberto Pierattini (University of Tuscia & CURSA) – Marine ecologist specializing in coastal dynamics and Mediterranean ecosystems; Aurora D’Aprile (International Emissions Trading Association, IETA) – EU policy officer with deep expertise in carbon markets, EU ETS, CBAM, and Article 6 mechanisms; Michele Rumiz (Carbonsink) – Senior regional manager leading carbon project sourcing and market intelligence across emerging climate technologies.

Building Europe’s Blue Carbon Future: LIFE SeaForest panel will serve as a key moment to synthesize scientific advances, regulatory challenges, and market insights. By fostering dialogue among those directly shaping the future of Blue Carbon, the conference aims to accelerate the integration of marine ecosystems, especially Posidonia oceanica meadows—into Europe’s climate mitigation strategies.