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Making Blue Carbon Count: Incorporating Coastal Wetlands into Climate Action Plans

Mid Atlantic Ocean Acidification Workshop

September 11, 2024

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Making Blue Carbon Count

Introduction to The Pew Charitable Trusts

Founded in 1948
Nonpartisan, evidence-based approach
Government performance, health, environment
US environmental work

Energy Modernization
U.S. Conservation
Cross cutting international – US work e.g., plastics

Pew & blue carbon

International work – nationally determined contributions
US work –state climate planning, blue carbon network
Targeted research, data driven policy advocacy, outreach/communications

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Leveraging Nature for Climate Action

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Natural and Working Lands & Climate

Land management: farms, ranches, grasslands, forests, wetlands

Reduce emissions (e.g., restore degraded landscapes, improve ag practices)

Avoid emissions (protect existing carbon sinks from conversion)

Expand carbon sinks (restoration)

The term often used in this climate mitigation policy space is “natural and working lands strategies.” These strategies are not meant to substitute efforts to reduce emissions but rather are an additional pathway that can help advance climate goals while also yielding other important benefits like clean water and air, wildlife habitat, etc. Natural and working lands strategies focus on land management practices that reduce emissions – for example thinning in forests to reduce wildfire risks or reconnecting tidal flows to an impounded wetlands; avoiding emissions by protecting landscapes from conversion; and expanding carbon sinks – such as reforestation and wetland restoration. This is a relatively new but growing policy space and states in particular are taking the lead, thanks in part due to leadership from the US climate Alliance.

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How does wetland carbon fit in?

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recognition of freshwater wetlands, coastal blue carbon wetlands (salt marsh, mangroves, seagrasses)

“Manageability”
Accounting methodologies (2013 wetlands supplement)
Note: oceanic carbon not yet recognized by IPCC

U.S. first to include coastal wetlands in national GHG inventory
Pew’s focus: tidally-influenced wetlands, seagrasses, peatlands

So how do wetlands generally and blue carbon habitats specifically fit into the climate mitigation policy arena? The IPCC, which is the official body for assessing the science of climate change, sets standards and guidelines for climate action. The IPCC recognizes the importance of coastal wetlands globally as carbon sinks – specifically tidal wetlands and seagrasses – and has methodologies for measuring this contribution. With this guidance, the US has been able to include coastal wetlands in its national greenhouse gas inventory of emissions and sinks, which not only sets the stage for the federal government to adopt and measure specific actions related to coastal wetlands as part of climate planning, but also facilitates work at the state level since the EPA data is disaggregated at the state level.

Oceanic carbon is not yet recognized by the IPCC & one of the constraints here is this concept of manageability. Basically this means that humans must have the ability to track and manage this carbon in order for it to “count” in climate mitigation policy frameworks. But the science is fast evolving so watch this space. For Pew’s work, we are focused on those blue carbon habitats recognized by the IPCC – tidal wetlands and seagrasses – and we have a new effort focusing on peatlands.

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Blue carbon habitats as part of Natural and Working Lands

Need/opportunity to elevate tidal wetlands/seagrasses
Need to understand (measure) climate impacts (estimates of stocks, fluxes)
Multiple benefits related to conservation/restoration of tidal wetlands/SAV

Food, biodiversity, culture
SAV & localized amelioration of OA

Opportunity for new policy commitments, funding
Growing # of states incorporating blue carbon into NWL plans

Leadership from Mid Atlantic States

So the natural and working lands policy space is relatively new & when we began engaging, States were focusing primarily on forests and agriculture given the larger footprint of these areas & greater amounts of data. So an important first step for us was to help support and elevate data and science around climate impacts associated with tidal wetlands and seagrasses, including supporting the development of greenhouse gas inventories for coastal wetlands. This information can then support policies and management actions that reduce emissions and enhance carbon sequestration and storage in these landscapes. Since we started this work, we have seen a growing # of coastal states incorporating blue carbon into their natural and working lands strategies, and there’s great work happening right here in the Mid Atlantic.

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Blue Carbon Policy Progress

North Carolina

Blue carbon habitats (emergent tidal wetlands, high salinity SAV) incorporated in sector wide GHG inventory
Conservation & restoration measures incorporated in state NWL plan
Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program - $30 million for protection, restoration & resilience measures for NC coastal habitats & research on carbon export

Oregon

Blue carbon inventory of tidal wetlands & tidally-influenced forested wetlands
Blue carbon habitats in Climate Action Commission NWL roadmap
Conservation/restoration of blue carbon habitats eligible under Natural Climate Solutions Fund

California

New state targets for natural climate solutions include 233,000 acres of wetlands (tidal wetlands, eelgrass)
Focus on resilient carbon stocks: measures to conserve, restore & adapt to sea level rise

Washington

Specific call out for blue carbon habitats in Climate Commitment Act for $$
Launching work on blue carbon inventory

I’ll cover examples of progress from the states where Pew has engaged, since I know these best. But again want to add that the mid Atlantic states are blue carbon leaders & can share their experiences during the break outs. So starting in North Carolina, the state earlier this year incorporated estimates of greenhouse gas emissions and removals from its tidal wetlands and seagrasses into its broader state GHG inventory. North Carolina’s inclusion of seagrasses is particularly exciting, and I think along with Maryland may be among the first in the world to account for SAV. The state has included new commitments to conserve and restore blue carbon habitats in its Natural and Working Lands plan. In addition, because the state had carbon estimates available from its blue carbon inventory, it was able to include measures to protect, restore and build resilience in tidal wetlands as part of a broader multi state proposal to EPA for funding under the climate pollution reduction grant program. This work resulted in $30 million in funds for North Carolina for coastal carbon work, including support to expand research on lateral flows of carbon from tidal wetlands into the nearshore. Bailey will likely talk more about this new funding.

California may be the furthest along in terms of setting specific measurable targets in the Natural and Working Lands sector, including for blue carbon habitats. Across NWL landscapes, the state is focused above all on maintaining resilient carbon stocks, not just focusing on short term carbon gains. As such, for its wetlands targets, it has included measures related to sea level rise adaptation.

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National Perspectives (BC Working Group)

Opportunities

Federal action: Ocean Climate Action Plan, BIL/IRA investments, administration & agency NBS action plans
Opportunity to learn from states
Blue carbon data/science getting more robust

Smithsonian’s Coastal Carbon Atlas

Challenges

Lack of federal coordination & leadership
Tension between broadening definition of blue carbon ecosystems & maintaining scientific credibility
Difficulty accessing carbon markets

“A good adaptation strategy is a good carbon strategy”

Integrate blue carbon research/management in resilience strategies & funding opportunities

Pew mainly works at the state level, but over the past year we partnered with Restore America’s Estuaries to reconvene the National Blue Carbon Working Group. In May the group held an in person meeting to discuss the lay of the land around blue carbon, needs and opportunities. A few major themes emerged – first, recognition that over the past decade, the state of the science has really grown around coastal carbon. Secondly, the group identified the need for greater federal coordination & leadership. Third, recognition that leveraging conservation finance including through carbon credits remain a challenge, though we’ll hear more later today about a successful effort in VA. And Finally a big theme was the need to weave together both climate mitigation and adaptation strategies. Coastal habitats are threatened by sea level rise & so we need to adopt measures to ensure these habitats and the carbon they store persist into the future. We also need to better understand losses of carbon from sea level rise & incorporate this into NWL strategies

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Thank you

Sylvia Troost - Stroost@pewtrusts.org

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Peatlands

Bogs, fens – slow decomposition, locks away carbon
Northern US – lots on forest lands
Southeast - pocosins
Protect/restore
MN – School Trusts Lands
NC – keeping protections after loss from Sackett