Seas and Oceans: Carbon Capture and Storage

(asked on 1st February 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a blue carbon strategy for the UK.


Answered by
Rebecca Pow Portrait
Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This question was answered on 9th February 2021

The Government recognises the important role that blue carbon habitats, such as saltmarsh and seagrass meadows, can play to prevent biodiversity loss and support adaptation and resilience to climate change, alongside carbon sequestration benefits. Some uncertainty remains in quantifying the magnitude and direction of change in blue carbon stores and fluxes for all marine habitats, and we therefore continue to gather evidence to improve assessments.

Marine nature-based solutions, including the protection and restoration of blue carbon habitats, are central to a range of Defra policy areas and will contribute towards achieving the Government’s vision for ‘clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse ocean and seas’. The existing UK Marine Strategy is vital in achieving this vision and provides the framework for assessing and taking measures to achieve and maintain Good Environmental Status in our seas.

We already have 38% of UK waters in Marine Protected Areas, covering the majority of saltmarsh and seagrass habitat, and our focus is now on ensuring these are effectively protected. We have stated our intention to pilot Highly Protected Marine Areas in Secretary of State waters and we look forward to publishing the Government's response to Richard Benyon's review in due course, including how HPMAs can enhance the protection of blue carbon habitats. A number of coastal habitat restoration initiatives are also underway, including the Restoring Meadow, Marsh and Reef (ReMeMaRe) initiative which was initiated by the Defra group to restore our estuarine and coastal habitats to benefit people and nature.

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