Science and Law of Blue Carbon
PANEL DESCRIPTION
Blue carbon ecosystems are increasingly implicated in climate law, coastal governance, and environmental regulation. This panel will focus on the emerging legal frameworks governing blue carbon, including questions of jurisdiction, regulatory authority, property and resource rights, and the integration of blue carbon into existing climate and coastal management regimes. Panelists will examine the role of governments in developing legal standards for blue carbon projects, the implications for carbon markets and crediting systems, and the interaction between public law, private contracts, and environmental safeguards. The discussion will address how legal requirements for verification, permanence, accountability, and enforcement shape the viability of blue carbon initiatives, as well as the risks of regulatory gaps, market overreach, and inequitable outcomes.
Moderated by Anna Catherine Nussbaum.
DANIEL FRIESS, TULANE UNIVERSITY
Dr. Daniel Friess is the Cochran Family Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Tulane University and Director of the Murphy Institute’s Center for Public Policy Research. Dr. Friess is an internationally recognized multidisciplinary climate scientist whose work bridges ecology, policy, and community resilience. His research particularly focuses on quantifying blue carbon and its use in conservation and restoration, and he works in collaboration with governments, nonprofits and the corporate sector. He contributes to global initiatives such as the Blue Carbon Initiative Scientific Working Group, the IUCN Mangrove Specialist Group, and the Global Mangrove Alliance.
ISABEL ENGLEHART, FISHMAN HAYGOOD
Isabel Englehart is an attorney in Fishman Haygood’s Litigation Section. Isabel’s practice primarily focuses on environmental law. Before joining the firm, Isabel was a policy advisor in former Governor John Bel Edwards’ Office of Coastal Activities where she assisted in policy development and cross-government coordination related to coastal protection and restoration, as well as statewide climate planning and implementation, including the publication of a Louisiana Priority Climate Action Plan. Prior to joining the Governor’s Office, Isabel was a senior research fellow with the Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law & Policy where she focused on issues of water governance and management including flood protection authorizations, ecosystem services crediting frameworks, and interstate compacts.
Isabel is a member of the New Orleans Bar Association. She received her law degree, cum laude, with a Certificate in Environmental Law from Tulane Law School in 2021. While at Tulane, Isabel was a Managing Editor of the Tulane Law Review and Rule XX student attorney for the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic. She received a bachelor’s degree through the Program in the Environment with a specialization in Sustainable Business and a minor in Russian Language, Literature, and Culture from the University of Michigan.
MARY LAKEY, FIRST HORIZON BANK
Mary Lakey is the Director of Pricing and Profitability for First Horizon Bank where she is responsible for the bank’s loan and deposit pricing and profitability strategies. Previously, she served as First Horizon's Head of Environmental, Social, and Governance. During her tenure in this role, she helped craft the organization's corporate sustainability strategy, with a particular focus on environmental initiatives, including Blue Carbon.
Lakey has over 15 years of experience in the banking industry. Other roles include Investor Relations where she prepared financial materials for public disclosure, engaging in shareholder communications, and working to successfully integrate the First Horizon and IBERIABANK merger of equals. Prior to that she worked in Energy Capital Markets in various roles including serving as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer for IBERIA Capital Partners.
Lakey holds her Series 24, 7, and 87 securities licenses. She is a graduate of University of San Diego where she was also a Division 1 collegiate swimmer. She was selected for the American Banker Most Powerful Teams in Banking (2022) and continues to participate in numerous leadership programs and industry working groups. She is based out of New Orleans.