Introduction to Day 2 of VNN peatland workshop focused on "Developing a roadmap for peatland GHG accounting and carbon markets in the UK" (19th January 2012, Leeds)

1. Developing a roadmap for peatland GHG accounting
and carbon markets in the UK
Aletta Bonn, Clifton Bain, Mark Reed,
Chris Evans & Klaus Glenk

4. 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)

7. EU Conservation status
of active Blanket Bogs
Habitats Directive also covers
Degraded Blanket bogs

8. 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

10. 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/

11. 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?

12. 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

13. 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)

14. 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)

16. 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?