ABPmer White Paper – Colin Scott: ‘Blue Carbon in Managed Realignments   What do we know about the ‘Blue Carbon’ value of managed realignment projects, and what do we find when we compare 10 very different UK case examples?

For more than two decades, there has been growing recognition about the role that coastal habitats (especially marshes, seagrass and mangroves) can play a key role in trapping and storing ‘blue’ carbon. Today, as COP26 comes to a close in Glasgow and a major new Blue Carbon conference is underway in Edinburgh, the level of interest in, and advocacy for, this subject is huge.

There are now many organisations and research institutions exploring this issue. They are seeking to better understand how the protection and creation of habitats (nature-based solutions) can play a more significant role in contributing to Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for mitigating climate change under the 2015 Paris Agreement.

To contribute to ongoing discussions in this field, our latest White Paper summarises what we know about the Blue Carbon value of carrying out intertidal wetland restoration though the managed realignment of coastal defences. It includes the findings of a review that applied a simple but standardised approach to calculating Blue Carbon to 10 very different wetland restoration projects completed in the UK. It then offers some recommendations for future project delivery and research.

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