About the UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership
At COP26 the UK announced its intention to work together to help establish a new cross-Administration UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership to progress the evidence base on blue carbon habitats in UK waters, advancing our commitment to protecting and restoring blue carbon habitats as a nature-based solution. Through this partnership, UK Administrations work together to address key research questions related to blue carbon policy, such as filling the evidence gaps that currently hinder inclusion of saltmarsh and seagrass habitats into the UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory.
Purpose
The purpose of the UKBCEP is to facilitate co-ordination and collaboration across UK administrations and progress the evidence base on blue carbon habitats in the UK by addressing key research questions related to blue carbon policy, thus advancing the UK’s commitment to protecting and restoring blue carbon habitats as a nature-based solution. The Partnership works to ensure that the UK has a joint and robust shared scientific understanding of blue carbon.
Aims
The following high-level aims shape the activities of the UKBCEP:
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Share information, data and knowledge on blue carbon evidence across UK administrations, including opportunities to work collaboratively.
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Enhance the evidence base surrounding the diverse blue carbon habitats found across the UK, including those beyond the 2013 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Wetlands Supplement.
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Enhance the understanding of human impacts on blue carbon habitats to inform policy decisions.
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Enhance the understanding of how blue carbon habitats contribute to climate adaptation benefits in the UK, and how this can be facilitated through management and restoration.