How Can Kelp Help Solve the Climate Crisis?

Why It Matters

Because kelp offers a low‑cost, high‑impact carbon sink and resource‑saving feedstock, it could become a cornerstone of integrated climate‑action strategies for agriculture, fisheries and the broader economy.

Key Takeaways

• Global kelp market valued at $500 billion, spanning one‑third coastlines.
• Kelp forests capture 20× more carbon than comparable land forests.
• Carbon capture cost $85/ton via kelp vs $1,000/ton mechanically.
• Kelp additives cut cattle methane emissions up to 80%.
• Seaweed cultivation supports marine biodiversity and high‑value agriculture.

Summary

The video spotlights kelp as a climate‑change solution, noting a $500 billion market and its presence along roughly one‑third of the world’s coastlines.

Researchers cite kelp forests sequestering up to twenty times more carbon per hectare than terrestrial forests, at a capture cost of about $85 per ton versus roughly $1,000 for engineered systems. Processing kelp into bio‑stimulants also conserves water for water‑intensive crops such as almonds and grapes.

Practical applications include sprinkling kelp on cattle feed, which can slash methane emissions by as much as 80%, and using harvested seaweed as a high‑value ingredient in sushi and other foods, while the forests provide habitat for lobster, crab, cod and countless other species.

Scaling kelp cultivation could deliver simultaneous climate mitigation, agricultural resilience, and biodiversity benefits, prompting investors and policymakers to consider it alongside reforestation and carbon‑capture technologies.

Original Description

Absorbing 20 times more carbon than forests of equivalent size, kelp could help save both the climate and biodiversity crisis.

Beyond the environment, it has a $500 billion market to develop a more profitable and sustainable “blue economy.”

Ginger Matchett of the Atlantic Council's GeoStrategy Initiative shares how kelp can transform our future.

For more, check out our Global Foresight 2036 report: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/content-series/atlantic-council-strategy-paper-series/six-snow-leopards-to-watch-for-in-the-coming-year-and-beyond/