Trust expands options for mangrove emission offsets

(CNS): The National Trust for the Cayman Islands (NTCI) is expanding its mangrove protection programme with a new partner in United States, Mangrove Education (ME), that will enable international and local donations made to protect mangroves here tax-deductible for US citizens. The Trust is already partnering with a local non-profit organisation, Island Offsets, to provide an avenue for local businesses and individuals to offset their carbon footprint by donating to the mangrove fund for the purchase of this vital habitat.

ME provides environmental education, primarily focusing on mangrove ecosystems. The Trust said this is an ideal partnership to help educate the public on the benefits of mangrove forests, the value these ecosystems have in sequestering carbon, and how preserving these areas can play an integral role in battling climate change.

“Now that international organisations can support the work of the National Trust in the purchase and
protection of this vitally important ecosystem, we are excited to partner with such a like-minded
organisation,” said NTCI Chairman Olson Anderson.

The goal with both partnerships is to encourage and facilitate tangible voluntary offsets for any emissions that concerned commercial companies can’t reduce through the purchase and protection of this carbon-rich ecosystem to help them achieve net-zero or carbon neutrality.

Funds raised by Island Offsets are used to purchase land that would otherwise have been deforested. The trees are therefore saved to sequester and store carbon for generations to come.

The National Trust explained that this project also provides important co-benefits, including the conservation of critical habitat for Cayman’s unique biodiversity, the protection of the islands’ natural beauty from indiscriminate development, and increasing the resilience of the Cayman Islands to the effects of a changing climate.

Mangroves are famous for their ability to protect neighboring communities from tropical storms and hurricanes, which are forecast to become even stronger in the future. Mangroves also create their own rainfall, just like the Amazon, thereby counteracting expected longer periods of drought. In addition, they act as sponges to absorb excess rainfall, forecast to occur more frequently.

These trees even create their own microclimate, thereby significantly lowering temperatures in the face of
expected heatwaves.