Building Trust and Scale in Blue Carbon Markets

Discussion with James Harrison

James Harrison’s career has spanned the military, strategy consulting, and building multiple frontier technology businesses. From scaling one of the first global drone inspection companies to founding software ventures in geospatial AI, and now leading Blue Coast Carbon, he brings a practical understanding of how data and innovation can transform industries. In this article, he explores how trust is built in blue carbon credits, why investor-grade discipline matters, and how AI is helping nature-based projects move from pilots to global scale.

Trust Through Rigorous Data Collection

When entering new markets, trust is often in short supply. Harrison’s early work in drone inspections taught him that in places with no rules, credibility had to be built from scratch. Regulators and clients had to be shown what good practice looked like before they were willing to support a project. He sees the same challenge in today’s carbon markets: without robust verification and transparent processes, carbon credits risk losing all value.

At Blue Coast Carbon, the philosophy is simple, be open and demonstrate quality. That means sharing data collection methods, explaining model design, and inviting stakeholders to see the process firsthand. Their upcoming lunch and learn sessions at corporate headquarters in Europe are designed to showcase the scientific work and assumptions in detail including the baseline and accurate estimates of carbon sequestration potential. Rather than a black box approach, the lunch and learn series enables the Blue Coast Carbon team to share the initial phases of project selection to a wider corporate audience, meaning the knowledge is shared outside of the specialist teams working on carbon credits. This is key for credibility not just today, but five or ten years into the future.

“The best thing for us to do is to share what good looks like, to showcase how our scientists have developed our models, and to show how that maps to the certification bodies”, says Harrison. By pulling back the curtain, the company aims to make trust something tangible rather than assumed.

Embedding Investor Discipline from Day One

Harrison believes many early carbon projects were launched with strong intentions but weak financial rigor. That has made investors cautious. His solution is to design projects with the standards of private equity in mind from the very beginning focusing on both financial returns and real impact on the local community. 

This starts with documentation. Every step, from assumptions to model outputs, must be recorded and stored securely. By creating a data room that mirrors private equity processes, projects become ready for scrutiny at any time. For institutional investors, that level of preparation signals reliability and reduces the perceived risk of entering a relatively young market.

“If you’re a project developer, you have to design in best-in-class data collection, best-in-class transparency, best-in-class processes from day one, and document everything”, Harrison emphasizes. The result is projects that are not just well-intentioned but financially and operationally credible.

Scaling Carbon Projects Into Investable Assets

For carbon projects to move beyond pilots, they need more than ambition, they need a repeatable model. Harrison identifies three building blocks: start with solid science, ensure defensible assessments, and keep a tight focus on one area to enable repeatability.

The first step is basic but essential: science and finances must align. Too many projects start with enthusiasm but fail to check whether the carbon potential and financial return justify the work. Early financial modeling helps teams avoid wasted time and resources.

Second, scientific credibility is critical. Harrison’s team includes PhD-level experts who keep assumptions conservative and defendable. This builds confidence when raising capital. The third factor is focus. By concentrating only on mangrove ecosystems, Blue Coast Carbon can apply the same machine learning models across geographies, cutting feasibility timelines from months to weeks. “We can assess a project really fast and go from zero to completion of feasibility much quicker by being focused on the same thing all the time”, says Harrison.

Aligning Private Equity Horizons with Ecological Timelines

Private equity looks for returns in under ten years, but restoration projects can take decades. Instead of trying to change investor expectations, Harrison designs projects to fit them. This approach allows capital that might otherwise sit idle to flow into urgent conservation work.

One way is by prioritizing REDD+ projects that protect existing forests. Unlike restoration, which may take seven years or more to generate carbon benefits, protection produces credits faster. This not only delivers early cash flow but also addresses urgent ecological losses, such as mangrove deforestation. Over 50% of global mangrove forests have been lost globally, so this is a real and timely issue. 

“We don’t try and change the funds. We try and design for the existing funds today”, Harrison explains. Early-stage credits are ideal for large corporates and private equity investors. As the projects are further de-risked private equity investors can sell out their positions to those looking for steady long-term returns such as pension funds. The different stages of the projects appeal to different investors without compromising ecological goals.

AI and the Acceleration of Blue Carbon Measurement

AI has become a game-changer for speed and accuracy in carbon markets. Traditional fieldwork can take months, but AI-driven geospatial analysis compresses the process into days. That efficiency reduces costs and makes scaling projects far more practical.

The system works in layers: machine learning models filter out unusable satellite images, identify mangroves, and calculate biomass. This automation not only improves accuracy but also cuts computing costs. Harrison recalls assessing a large mangrove island that would have taken three months with traditional methods, AI reduced the process to just five days.

“We use AI in a very sensible way to not only reduce our cost, but to be able to determine an opportunity much quicker and to get accurate results”, Harrison says. For investors, that means faster assessments, lower costs, and greater confidence in outcomes.

Strategic Partnerships as Catalysts for Growth

Scaling blue carbon markets is not a solo effort. Harrison highlights the importance of working with large corporates and financial institutions that can validate methodologies and deploy capital at scale. Their involvement raises standards across the industry and accelerates adoption.

Scientific partnerships ensure methodologies can stand up to scrutiny, while financial partners make it possible to fund multiple projects at once. Rather than raising money piecemeal, developers can rely on long-term facilities that simplify financing and speed up execution.

“Our strategy is always to work with the largest companies in the world. By working with the very best and the very biggest, it means it’s eminently sensible and scalable for everyone else”, Harrison says. The goal is to set benchmarks others can follow, creating momentum for the wider market.

Balancing Financial Discipline with Social Outcomes

The success of carbon markets depends on balancing two priorities: investor returns and positive social and ecological outcomes. Harrison’s approach is to start with first principles, ensure the carbon science is right and then match it with investors who are willing to fund that type of project.

Equally important are the people on the ground. Many mangrove communities lack even basic infrastructure. Projects must therefore create local benefits, such as training rangers, building sustainable livelihoods, and reducing dependence on destructive practices. Paying the communities for their knowledge and stewardship of the land ensures stability over the 40–100-year lifespan of a project and takes communities out of poverty and into the economy.

“We always go back to first principles. In 10 years’ time, when we’re selling credits from the project, is someone going to look back and think this was a good project?”, Harrison asks. Keeping that long-term view at the center helps align financial goals with community well-being and environmental integrity.

Key Takeaways

Before wrapping up, Harrison emphasized that success in blue carbon markets comes down to a few guiding principles that combine science, finance, and collaboration. These are the essentials that every project developer and investor should keep in mind:

• Lead with science and finance: Projects must prove both carbon credibility and financial viability before scaling.
• Design with due diligence in mind: Embedding investor-grade standards from the start accelerates funding and builds trust.
• Align structures to capital realities: By designing for existing private equity horizons, projects can attract immediate investment while transitioning to long-term holders.
• Leverage AI for credibility and speed: Automation and geospatial intelligence cut costs, reduce timelines, and enhance accuracy.
• Partnerships drive scalability: Collaborating with leading corporates and financial institutions sets higher standards and expands market capacity.

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