Ajinomoto collaborate on mangrove conservation, Protecting the Blue Carbon for Net Zero Emissions in Thailand

                Ajinomoto Co., (Thailand) Ltd., led by Sustainability Promotion and Environment Team attended the mangrove reforestation activity in collaboration with Thailand Business Council for Sustainable Development (TBCSD) , Thailand Environment Institute Foundation (TEI)  and TBCSD Members at Learning Center of Bang Khun Thian mangrove forest, Bangkok on June 28, 2023 to express cooperation for the restoration and preservation of mangroves to ensure balanced benefits among the environment, the economy, and society along with protecting the Blue Carbon which is the Sustainable way for achieving Net Zero.  
 

                  The collaboration aims to advance the conservation of mangroves along the coast in Bangkok covering Bang Khun Thian mangrove forest area and drive cooperation networks for the restoration and preservation of mangroves to reduce the impact of global warming and biodiversity loss sustainably. Moreover, Coastal ecosystems have the best storage capacity to store carbon dioxide, helping to reduce climate change problem and the trees also act as traps and filters for marine litter. 
 

                   Coastal ecosystems including mangrove, salt marsh and seagrass, which are considered as blue carbon, are powerful carbon sinks. The ecosystems store most of the carbon in their soil and sediment and the carbon stays there for millennia if the ecosystems are not disturbed. While “green carbon” rainforests store carbon in biomass and then release it when the trees die. As a result, Mangroves (blue carbon) for instance can store up to 10 times more carbon per acre than land-based forests. (Reference data ; TGO)    
 

                  For mangrove in Thailand, there are approximately 2,500 square kilometers and slightly increase by last year; however, it might not be sufficient to reach the greenhouse gas mitigation target of the country. Not only being the powerful carbon sinks, but Coastal ecosystems are also well known as nurseries for aquatic animals and protect coastal areas from storm surges. Therefore, it’s time to count the blue carbon. Protecting and restoring strategies for blue carbon ecosystems are immediately required to reach a global target of net zero emissions.