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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the carbon storage potential of natural blue carbon habitats; and what steps he is taking to help protect these habitats.

To progress the evidence base on blue carbon habitats in UK waters the UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership (UKBCEP) was established in 2022. Through the UKBCEP, Defra is working together with Devolved Governments and DESNZ to address key blue carbon research questions including assessing their carbon storage potential. A working group was set up under the UKBCEP to help to address the evidence gaps preventing the inclusion of saltmarsh in the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory (UKGHGI). In January 2025, Defra published a roadmap towards the potential inclusion of saltmarsh in the UKGHGI. We also published initial outputs from a multi-year research project to increase our understanding of UK seabed sediment carbon storage in January 2025.

In England, we have established a comprehensive network of 181 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which cover the majority of our saltmarsh and seagrass habitats. While blue carbon habitats may not always be an explicitly designated feature, MPA protection may still yield benefits.

Our focus is now on ensuring that these MPAs are effectively protected to allow the designated features to achieve favourable condition. Three Highly Protected Marine Area (HPMAs) designations in English waters came into force in summer 2023. Two of the three designated sites, Allonby Bay and North East of Farnes Deep, contain blue carbon habitats.