Developing a roadmap for peatland GHG accounting and carbon markets in the UK

Aletta Bonn, Clifton Bain, Mark Reed,

Chris Evans & Klaus Glenk

Damaged peatlands are a cost to society and less resilient to climate change impacts ‘Restoration of peatlands is a low hanging fruit, and among the most cost-effective options for mitigating climate change’ Achim Steiner, Exec Director UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

EU Conservation status of active Blanket Bogs

Habitats Directive also covers

Degraded Blanket bogs

UK Peatlands

• Priority for action under national &

international agreements

• Provide essential services to

society, globally, nationally and

locally

• 9.5% of UK land area, around 80%

damaged

• Single most important carbon store

of 3.2 billion tonnes of carbon

• Loss of 5% UK peatland carbon

≈ total annual UK anthropogenic

GHG emisssions

IUCN UK Peatland Programme Strong partnership of peatland restoration projects, statutory agencies & representatives from business and private land managers 2011 Commission of Inquiry on Peatlands 2010/11/12 IUCN UK PP Conferences ‘Investing in Peatlands’ http://www.iucn-uk-peatlandprogramme.org/

Assessing and valuing peatland ecosystem services for sustainable management Valuations of biodiversity, ecosystem services and natural resource use Challenges : Incorporation of (1) stock sustainability (2) issues of scale (3) complexity of socio-ecological systems (4) How do we integrate information on values obtained from the natural sciences, economics and other social sciences into governance and so improve decision making and how can such improved decisions be implemented effectively?

Assessing and valuing peatland ecosystem services for sustainable management (WP1) Relationships between environmental processes and the delivery of ecosystem services (WP2) Economic considerations for prioritising peatland restoration and conservation activities (WP3) Payments for Ecosystem Services and cross-boundary collaboration (WP4) Developing a roadmap for peatland GHG accounting and carbon markets in the

TODAY - Goals

(1) Science: Scope the development of a

science and monitoring plan to provide GHG values for UK peatlands and vegetation proxies using the Greenhouse Gas Emission Site Types (GEST) model

(2) Structure: Identify potential pathways towards a Peatland Code with carbon protocols, other sustainability standards, accreditation and verification.

(3) Pilot: Scope a roadmap to establish demonstration sites with private financing for peatland restoration to inform future carbon markets and/or Corporate social responsibility (CSR)

TODAY - Presentations

• Overview of international & national

policy framework

(Clifton Bain)

• International Verified Carbon Standard

for Peatlands

(Igino Emmer)

• Peatland rewetting for carbon credits –

Experience from Belarus

(Zbig Karpowicz, RSPB)

• GEST Model – vegetation proxy for

GHG flux from peatlands

(Rob Field, RSPB)

• Development of carbon code –

experience from forestry

(Chris Waterfield, FC)

Discussion

• What steps would be necessary to produce a UK Peatland Carbon

Code consistent with national/international GHG Accounting

Guidelines to facilitate peatland restoration via CSR payments?

• To what extent can the UK learn from and develop existing

initiatives, including the Verified Carbon Standard (http://www.v-c-

s.org) and international demonstration sites e.g. Belarus (funded by

the German Government for carbon gains)?

• Can we learn from the Woodland Carbon code development and

implementation?

• How could such a code be designed to optimise synergies between

carbon sequestration/storage and water quality, biodiversity and

recreation benefits at different spatial scales (where these exist)?

• What steps would need to be taken to secure privately finance for

UK restoration pilots?