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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of (1) soil restoration, and (2) kelp, forests for carbon sequestration.

The most recent published Government review of the evidence on the benefits of soil restoration for carbon sequestration is available at:

http://sciencesearch.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=12186_SP1113Finalreport.pdf.

The Government recognises the importance of effective soil management and the social, economic and environmental benefits it can provide, including biodiversity, carbon storage, flood protection and improved productivity. The 25 Year Environment Plan sets out Government’s ambition to have sustainably managed soils by 2030, helping soils to function better to deliver a wide range of ecosystem services.

The Government is also committed to publishing an England Peat Strategy to create and deliver a new ambitious framework for peat restoration. It will set out a holistic plan for the management, protection and restoration of our upland and lowland peatlands, so that they deliver benefits for climate and nature. We intend to publish the strategy before the end of the year.

Kelp forests are productive ecosystems and in England are estimated to store 0.06 million tonnes of carbon in their biomass. However, the long-term carbon sequestration benefits are uncertain as the fate of carbon from these habitats is not well understood. Long-term carbon storage from kelp may occur in sediments outside of the habitat or be recycled within the ocean system. We are currently undertaking an evidence review to assess kelp carbon stock and accumulation rates in the UK.