Mangrove forest carbon credits priced 4-5 times higher than other forests

Globally, there are many forest ecosystems, including tropical rainforests, high-mountain forests, evergreen forests, dipterocarp forests, and mangrove forests. According to Dr. Le Thanh Quang, Deputy Head of the Department of Ecology and Environment at the Forest Science Institute of South Vietnam, among all forest ecosystems, mangrove forests have the highest carbon sequestration capacity, 4-10 times higher than other forest types when calculated on the same unit of area.

Scientific studies show that mangrove tree species are able to grow and develop rapidly thanks to their year-round photosynthesis, combined with abundant nutrients supplied by tides. Rapid growth enables mangrove trees to accumulate large amounts of carbon in their trunks, branches, leaves, and especially within their interlaced root systems. These root systems are capable of retaining sediments, fallen leaves, and organic remains, thereby increasing the accumulation of organic matter in the soil while limiting the release of carbon back into the atmosphere.

In addition, unlike terrestrial forests, mangrove forests are located in tidal zones and are therefore regularly inundated. The majority of carbon in mangrove forests is stored in waterlogged soils and muddy sediments. Persistent flooding creates oxygen-poor conditions that significantly slow down the decomposition of organic matter, resulting in long-term carbon storage.

According to Dr. Le Thanh Quang, there are currently various methods for measuring and accounting for carbon sequestration in forests in general and in mangrove forests in particular. In 2024, the Forestry and Forest Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment issued Decision No. 145 promulgating the Handbook of Technical Guidelines for Forest Inventory, which provides detailed step-by-step procedures for assessing forest carbon stocks.

In order to contribute to greenhouse gas emission reductions and CO₂ balance, Viet Nam, as well as many other countries around the world, is recalculating forest areas, including mangrove forests.

Based on calculation methods used in the forestry sector, individual tree species and forest types are measured and inventoried to determine their respective carbon sequestration capacities. Once the carbon stocks of each tree species and forest type are quantified, they can be valued according to market prices of carbon credits.

For conventional forests, carbon credits currently trade at around USD 7-10/ton. In contrast, carbon credits from mangrove forests are priced 4-5 times higher, ranging from USD 20 to 30/ton.

Explaining the large price gap between mangrove forest carbon credits and those from other forest types, Dr. Le Thanh Quang noted that mangrove forests deliver exceptionally high value, not only in environmental terms but also through their critical roles in preventing storms, large waves, and coastal erosion and sustaining aquatic resources. These are benefits that other types of forests cannot provide.

* USD 1 = VND 26.266 (Source: Vietcombank, December 30, 2025)