Datapoints underlining the urgency of simultaneous social and ecological action BOX 3 –Exceeding 3ºC global warming above pre- industrial levels is predicted to inflict losses worth at least 18% of global GDP by 2050.4 –The current climate trajectory could result in ~132 million people falling into extreme poverty by 2030,5 2.8 billion people experiencing high or extreme water stress by 2040,6 1.2 billion more people becoming climate refugees7 and a 30% decline in average agricultural yields by 2050.8 –55% of global GDP – equivalent to about $58 trillion – is moderately or highly dependent on nature;9 meanwhile, current extractive economic models threaten further habitat loss. –Costs of addressing biodiversity loss could double if delayed 10 years, adding at least $500 billion per year to the bill for addressing climate change.10 –Leaders of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPs & LCs) have warned that the Global Biodiversity Framework’s 30x30 target to protect at least 30% of land and sea by 2030 could lead to the biggest land-grab in history, if their land ownership and participation are not secured.11 –The top four global risks over the next 10 years, cited by respondents in the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2025, are: extreme weather events, biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse, critical change to Earth systems and natural resource shortages.12 Coastal ecosystems present multiple opportunities to address the crises affecting climate, biodiversity and sustainable development. One-third (2.75 billion) of the planet’s population lives within 100 kilometres of the coast13 and they are among the most vulnerable in the world. Deteriorating coastal ecosystems put the livelihoods, food security, access to resources, land tenure and fishing rights of coastal communities at serious risk. Certain coastal ecosystems offer significant potential to deliver both local climate adaptation and global climate mitigation. These “blue carbon ecosystems” are defined by the UN as highly productive coastal ecosystems that are particularly important for their capacity to store carbon, including mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrasses.14 Blue carbon ecosystems store three to five times more carbon per hectare than terrestrial forests;15 while 151 countries contain at least one of these blue carbon ecosystems, 71 countries contain all three.16 The conservation and restoration of blue carbon ecosystems also provide huge potential benefits to local communities.17 The combination of core benefits that blue carbon ecosystems offer people and nature represents a significant opportunity to address the climate and nature crises in a socially and ecologically integrated way. Mangroves sequester carbon annually at a rate up to 10x greater than mature tropical forests and store 3x to 5x more carbon per equivalent area than tropical forests. 9 Investing in Mangroves: The Corporate Playbook

Investing in Mangroves 2025