| dc.description.abstract | Protecting ‘blue carbon’ areas, such as mangrove forests, saltmarshes and seagrass meadows is not only important to mitigate GHG emissions, but also offers a plethora of other benefits. Therefore, international law is increasingly paying attention to the need to conserve, restore and sustainably manage these coastal ecosystems. Co-benefits associated with these interventions can be, e.g., the improvement of water quality, the protection of biodiversity, or the increase of coastal resilience. However, assessing co-benefits for the purpose of facilitating their incorporation into projects is not simple. Likewise, blue carbon actions are frequently impaired by legal and multidisciplinary challenges, which may need prior attention. Through a legal lens, this paper analyses academic literature, policy papers, and case studies, as well as other relevant sources to discover whether blue carbon projects can be paired with or are able to deliver benefits beyond climate mitigation, and what is the current knowledge (including main challenges) regarding blue carbon (and co-benefits itself) impairing the design and effective delivery of co-benefits. It concludes that co-benefits can indeed be paired with and delivered by these projects, but that considerable gaps are found in assessing, quantifying, and enabling the implementation of these benefits. Finally, this research proposes the addressing of gaps through research, knowledge exchange and the development of new methodologies and guidelines to facilitate the assessment and delivery of co-benefits. | eng |