블루카본 크레딧 거래제도에 관한 연구: 일본의 사례

This study addresses the urgent need to introduce a seaweed-based blue carbon offset credit trading system in Korea to achieve the 2050 carbon neutrality target under the Paris Agreement. Drawing on Japan’s experience with blue carbon credit trading, the research explores policy directions and institutional measures for Korea’s sea forest carbon offset system. Despite scientific and technical challenges in monitoring blue carbon ecosystems, this approach represents a novel field compared to renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. Sea forest blue carbon projects not only contribute to carbon reduction but also enhance marine ecosystem conservation and biodiversity in coastal fisheries. For corporations, investment in sea forest creation provides a viable pathway to carbon neutrality in response to increasingly stringent ESG requirements, while simultaneously generating new jobs and income opportunities that revitalize fishing communities. At the national level, such a system supports UN climate change initiatives, reduces fiscal burdens on infrastructure projects, and significantly contributes to achieving national greenhouse gas reduction targets (NDCs). To prepare for IPCC certification requirements, standardized methodologies must be developed for different project types (nature-based sea forest creation and management, aquaculture-based seaweed cultivation) and ecosystem categories (seaweed, seagrass), including carbon absorption rates and coefficients. Pilot projects, implemented over three to five years in stages or partially in parallel, are proposed as essential groundwork for the successful establishment of Korea’s sea forest blue carbon offset credit trading system.