A report from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has reinforced the importance of restoring and creating wetland habitats, such as saltmarsh, in order to combat climate change as well as deliver multiple other benefits.
The IPCC, the UN’s body for assessing the science on climate change, has published a report looking into methods for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Their report has found that restoring coastal wetlands, such as saltmarsh, has the potential to remove carbon from the atmosphere in order to help fight the climate crisis. The report also highlights that restoring coastal wetlands brings multiple other benefits, such as restoring biodiversity.
This UN reports shows us the importance of restoring the UK’s saltmarsh habitats to help the UK reach Net Zero by 2050. There is currently a large gap between current government policies to reduce carbon emissions and the reductions needed to reach net zero.1 Saltmarsh is a nature-based solution to closing this gap now, without waiting for carbon capture and storage technologies which aren’t available. WWT’s 250ha saltmarsh at Steart Marshes is storing the equivalent of over 17,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year which is equivalent to growing over 280,000 tree saplings for 10 years.2
Tom Fewins, WWT’s Head of Policy & Advocacy, said “This report demonstrates the importance of restoring and creating saltmarsh in the UK. Saltmarsh stores carbon faster than forests and is a nature-based solution to the climate crisis available right now. The government should accelerate its support for this crucial wetland habitat”
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Posted On: 05/04/2022