Blue Carbon. A Rapid Response Assessment

A RAPID RESPONSE ASSESSMENT BLUE CARBON THE ROLE OF HEALTHY OCEANS IN BINDING CARBON 1 This report is produced as an inter-agency collaboration between UNEP, FAO and IOC/ UNESCO, with special invited contribution of Dr. Carlos M. Duarte, Institut Mediterráni d’Estudis Avançats, Spain. Nellemann, C., Corcoran, E., Duarte, C. M., Valdés, L., De Young, C., Fonseca, L., Grimsditch, G. (Eds). 2009. Blue Carbon. A Rapid Response Assessment. United Nations Environment Programme, GRID-Arendal, www.grida.no ISBN: 978-82-7701-060-1 Printed by Birkeland Trykkeri AS, Norway Disclaimer The contents of this report do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of UNEP or contributory organisations. The designations employed and the presentations do not imply the expressions of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNEP or contributory organisations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city, company or area or its authority, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. UNEP promotes environmentally sound practices globally and in its own activities. This report is printed on 100% recycled paper, using vegetable-based inks and other ecofriendly practices. Our distribution policy aims to reduce UNEP’s carbon footprint. BLUE CARBON THE ROLE OF HEALTHY OCEANS IN BINDING CARBON A RAPID RESPONSE ASSESSMENT Christian Nellemann (Editor in chief) Emily Corcoran Carlos M. Duarte Luis Valdés Cassandra De Young Luciano Fonseca Gabriel Grimsditch 4 PREFACE The most crucial, climatecombating coastal ecosystems are disappearing faster than anything on land and much may be lost in a couple of decades. If the world is to decisively deal with climate change, every source of emissions and every option for reducing these should be scientifically evaluated and brought to the interna­ tional community’s attention. The burning of fossil fuels is generating levels of what one might term ‘brown’ and ‘black’ carbon in the atmosphere and unless checked may take global temperatures above a threshold of 2˚C. Dramatic reductions are possible by accelerating energy efficiency measures and boosting the deployment of cleaner energy generation and renewables such as solar, wind and geothermal. Over the past few years science has been illuminating other sources of emissions and other opportunities for action. Deforestation for example now accounts for close to 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In a matter of weeks, governments will meet in Copenhagen where there is an urgency to Seal the Deal on a new and forwardlooking agreement. Part of that package of measures needs to include ‘green’ carbon – the carbon stored in the globe’s forests and their soils and especially in the tropics. Financing a partnership for Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) can play an important role in keeping that green carbon where it belongs while also assisting the development and employment objectives of developing economies by giving an economic value to these vital ecosystem services. Science is now also telling us that we need to urgently address the question of ‘blue’ carbon. An estimated 50% of the carbon in the atmosphere that becomes bound or ‘sequestered’ in natural systems is cycled into the seas and oceans – another example of nature’s ingenuity for ‘carbon capture and storage’. However, as with forests we are rapidly turning that blue carbon into brown carbon by clearing and damaging the very marine ecosystems that are absorbing and storing greenhouse gases in the first place. This in turn will accelerate climate change, putting at risk communities including coastal ones along with other economicallyimportant assets such as coral reefs; freshwater systems and marine biodiversity as well as ‘hard’ infrastructure from ports to power-stat