In the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, a region highly vulnerable to climate change, Kosmos Energy partnered with Tierra Resources, a Louisiana-based non-profit focused on wetlands restoration and the development of blue carbon capture projects. Tierra's mission is to conserve, protect, and restore coastal wetland ecosystems by creating innovative solutions that support investment in wetlands.
The partnership launched a Climate Mitigation Workforce in 2021 (now the Louisiana Coastal Restoration Workforce), with two objectives:
- Provide paid job training for workers in the greater New Orleans area disproportionately impacted by climate change and the energy transition
- Engage and educate this workforce on how wetland restoration protects communities from storms, sea level rise, and shoreline erosion, as well as improves water quality and provides viable habitats for wildlife
Fourty-five members participated in four Coastal Education Workshops about the wetland ecosystem and the role it plays in protecting the Mississippi River Corridor from hurricanes and the impacts of climate change. The workshops combined classroom training with field activities in areas with healthy, degrading and ghost ecosystems to highlight the need to protect wetlands and prevent erosion.
The Workforce also engaged with local nurseries to learn about efforts to restore vulnerable areas, then then applied their knowledge by planting 900 trees in areas on the Louisiana coast identified by the partnership as most suitable for restoration.
The next cohort of the Workforce will monitor the seedlings and assess their impact on ecosystem resilience and potential for blue-carbon projects.
