A Case Study Review of The Actual and Potential Role That Multinational Corporations Play in Global Mangrove Governance

Abstract

Since 1970, global mangrove loss has peaked and slowed with recent restoration efforts having some success. Though current instruments used have not proven to be sufficient to return global mangrove cover to historical levels. This study aimed to answer to what extent the private sector is contributing to mangrove reforestation over the last 10 years and what the driving factors behind this are. News articles were searched for examples of such initiatives, and their underlying motivations were identified. Across the last 10 years and 1,147 returned articles, only 5 instances were discovered, suggesting that this is a new phenomenon. In each of these cases, the companies were motivated to voluntarily undertake mangrove restoration because of the added benefit of carbon credits. These findings suggest that public private partnerships may provide support for success moving forward as private companies have larger sources of available funding. Inclusive policy will also be a necessary component to join entities together.