PEMSEA eBulletin - June 2025
PUBLICATION DATE:
Friday, June 27, 2025
PUBLICATION TYPE:
Magazines and Newsletters
STATUS:
Only Available Online
DESCRIPTION:
This month, we celebrated three important events: World Environment Day, World Ocean Day, and the UN Ocean Conference held in Nice, France!
In the Philippines, PEMSEA, through the MOF/PEMSEA Project on Reducing Marine Plastics in the East Asian Seas Region mobilized coastal clean-ups across six towns and cities in the Philippines in celebration of World Ocean Day.
At the UN Ocean Conference 3 (UNOC3) in Nice, France, PEMSEA Executive Director Aimee Gonzales, joined eight regional partners in formally launching the East Asian Seas Regional Marine Protected Area Collaborative Network and spoke in a high-level discussion on blue carbon partnerships aboard the Norwegian tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl.
In Bali, Indonesia, the GEF/UNDP/ASEAN Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) Project held its Third Regional Steering Committee Meeting back to back with the 25th Annual Meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Water Resources Management. Prior to the governance meetings, an orientation workshop introduced the Rapid Evaluation of the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (REWEFe) Nexus Toolkit to river basin stakeholders from seven ASEAN member states.
In Haikou, China, representatives from nine countries convened for the second PEMSEA Blue Carbon Technical Working Group Meeting to discuss the regional framework and national initiatives and standards for protecting vital blue carbon coastal ecosystems. Meanwhile, in Manila, Ms. Jessie Lee, PEMSEA's Technical Adviser on Marine Plastic Pollution participated in the Seventh Meeting of COBSEA’s Working Group on Marine Litter, reinforcing collaborative action in combating marine plastic pollution in the region.
In Bangkok, Thailand Ms. Nancy Bermas represented PEMSEA in the Second Southeast Asia Environmental Systems Regional Workshop and Dialogue. In Busan, RoKorea, check out the 1st KIOST-KMI Special Seminar where regional experts shared valuable research on blue carbon ecosystems and fisheries management.
Finally, to help democratize access to global climate dialogue, PEMSEA joined global partners in launching the fifth edition of the COP30 Virtual Ocean Pavilion. The platform aims to connect stakeholders and raise visibility on ocean issues ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil.
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
Proceedings of the 2026 PEMSEA Network of Local Governments (PNLG) Forum "Empowering Coastal Cities for a Blue Future"
The 2026 PEMSEA Network of Local Governments (PNLG) Forum, themed “Empowering Coastal Cities for a Blue Future,” was organized by the PEMSEA Network of Local Governments for Sustainable Coastal Development (PNLG), in collaboration with the PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers and the PEMSEA Resource Facility, and hosted by Busan Metropolitan City, Republic of Korea. The forum took place from September 8-10, 2026, at the Paradise Hotel Busan.
PEMSEA eBulletin - October 2026
From local solutions to international dialogues, October saw PEMSEA bringing coastal and ocean governance conversations to the forefront.
On the international stage, PEMSEA brought regional perspectives to the 11th International Waters Conference in Indonesia, the 2nd APEC Ocean Resilience Enhancement Conference, and Asia-Pacific Ocean Week 2026. Through these engagements, PEMSEA shared experiences and practical approaches to integrated coastal management, ocean resilience, and source-to-sea governance, contributing East Asian Seas perspectives to wider discussions on shared environmental challenges and regional cooperation.
At the regional level, the PEMSEA Executive Committee (EC) met online for the 36th EC Meeting to review institutional governance measures, discuss regional priorities, and look ahead to key Partnership milestones taking shape for 2027.
In the Philippines, PEMSEA continued to strengthen local partnerships through the PRICELESS Project and MOF/PEMSEA Marine Plastics ODA Project through continued collaboration with its partners and stakeholders.
Different platforms, shared priorities. This month, PEMSEA's engagements showed how regional experience can inform international conversations, how partnerships can shape collective priorities, and how cooperation can support solutions on the ground.
PEMSEA Regional Methodology for Blue Carbon Project Accounting
A Harmonized Guide for Estimating Carbon Stocks, Sequestration, and GHG Reductions in Coastal Ecosystems
Differences in measurement methods, carbon pool inclusion, and monitoring frameworks have made blue carbon projects in East Asia hard to compare. PEMSEA’s Regional Methodology addresses this with a single accounting framework for mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes. It is designed to be compatible with national greenhouse gas inventories and technically aligned with voluntary carbon credit certification requirements.
The Main Methodology sets out project eligibility and additionality, boundaries and stratification, baseline and project scenarios, uncertainty management, a tiering system, leakage, permanence and risk management, and monitoring, reporting, and verification. Five technical annexes provide the field and analytical detail:
- Annex A – Mangrove Ecosystems: carbon stock and sequestration assessment methods
- Annex B – Seagrass Ecosystems: carbon stock and sequestration assessment methods
- Annex C – Salt Marsh Ecosystems: carbon stock and sequestration assessment methods
- Annex D – Mapping Blue Carbon Ecosystems: remote sensing, validation, and change detection
- Annex E – Monitoring Environmental Parameters: the environmental conditions that influence blue carbon ecosystems
The methodology was prepared under the guidance of the Blue Carbon Technical Working Group of the EAS Partnership Council, with contributions from experts across the region. It is intended for project developers, national agencies, researchers, and verifiers working to bring high-integrity blue carbon projects to market.
INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON BLUE CARBON ECOSYSTEM VALUES: Accounting and Crediting Guidance Frameworks
The Korea Maritime Institute (KMI) and Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) convened the International Seminar on Blue Carbon Ecosystem Values in Busan, Republic of Korea. The seminar gathered representatives from six East Asian countries, academic institutions, and regional partners to validate enhancements to the Regional Blue Carbon Accounting Protocol (RBCAP), review biodiversity accounting and crediting approaches, and define PEMSEA’s role in governance, verification, and market development. Key outcomes included expert recommendations to strengthen the RBCAP, shared insights on biodiversity crediting pathways, and a clearer vision of PEMSEA’s added value as a regional platform for advancing blue carbon and biodiversity markets.
Proceedings of the 5th PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers (PNLC) Executive Committee Meeting 2026
The document contains the proceedings from the PNLC Executive Committee (EC) held 9 September 2026 in Busan, Republic of Korea.
The meeting was participated in by the President and Vice-President of the PNLC, the PEMSEA Executive Director, and the PNLC Secretariat from IPB and the PEMSEA Resource Facility. The agenda included:
- Workplan 2026-2027
- Updates on PNLC Expenditure and Financial Sustainability
Other Business:
- PRF Project Updates
- 2027 EAS Congress
- ICM Report
- Nature-based Solutions Capacity-building
PEMSEA Blue Carbon Program Updates