NRW study confirms Wales’ seas have massive potential for carbon offsetting to tackle the climate emergency - Natural Resources Wales
A new study commissioned by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has revealed the important role our seas and coasts play in offsetting carbon emissions by storing large amounts of carbon to help tackle the climate emergency.
Atmospheric carbon offsetting from woodlands and peatlands habitats are already well known. But, NRW’s new study confirms that marine habitats are important in storing “blue carbon”. According to its findings, each year, the marine environment in Wales locks away carbon amounting to the equivalent annual emissions of 64,800 cars or 115, 600 return flights from Cardiff to the Canary Islands.
It was found that marine habitats including saltmarshes and seagrass beds can place large amounts of carbon into long term storage each year and are as significant carbon stores as Welsh woodlands and forests. With the climate emergency likely to cause serious and irreversible impacts on communities in Wales and further afield, NRW’s study shows marine habitats have a big contribution to make in reducing greenhouse gases, alongside their well-recognised role in adapting to the impacts of the climate emergency.
What is clear from NRW’s study is that, in addition to carbon storage in woodlands and forests, our diverse coast and sea play an important role in carbon storage to help Wales tackle the climate emergency and protect our natural environment for future generations.
Click here to read the report.
More information in NRW's blog post: Wales’ Blue Carbon offsetting and the climate emergency
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Posted On: 10/08/2020