Review: Polar Blue Carbon Has Zero Policy Value as 20% of Seas Go Uncounted

A review by 19 scientists under the EU-funded POMP project, published in Global Change Biology, says the Arctic and Southern Ocean — about 20% of the global ocean — are excluded from climate accounting frameworks. In 2025, 1,812 vessels entered the Arctic Polar Code area, up roughly 40% from 2013.

• Polar seas cover about 20% of the global ocean but are excluded from climate accounting
• 1,812 vessels entered the Polar Code area in 2025, up roughly 40% from 2013
• Arctic kelp coverage could grow ninefold by 2100, but carbon storage remains contested
• Some Greenland fjords bury carbon faster than tropical mangroves