| In keeping with the objective
of this conference to reduce as much as is possible its ecological
footprint, a Carbon Stewardship Program has been developed
to help delegates reduce their greenhouse gas emissions from
traveling to the conference. This is particularly relevant
to those who require air travel to come to Vancouver. More
information on the program is found below. To participate
by making a contribution, click here.
What is a Carbon Stewardship Approach?
While carbon stewardship is a concept that is broad, it has
many components including reduction of fossil carbon through
technological change and development (alternative energy,
low carbon or non carbon fuels, energy efficiency gains, etc.).
The focus for this conference is on protecting and conserving
the carbon storage capacity of ecosystems as one such component.
The approach recognizes that ecosystems, particularly forests
and nearshore seagrass systems, represent large carbon sinks
that are maintained through sequestration (removal of carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere) and storage (binding carbon in
the form of plant material and roots). These ecosystems, among
others, mitigate the effects of our greenhouse gas emissions.
As such, CZC 08 is offering a voluntary opportunity for delegates
to invest in maintaining these important ecosystems in British
Columbia as a way to reduce or offset the amount of total
carbon dioxide emitted from travelling.
What are the numbers?
Studies over the last two decades have estimated the amount
of carbon that can be found in various forest ecosystems when
left intact. British Columbia’s forest ecosystems have
some of the highest carbon stores in Canada, averaging 311
tonnes C/ha, while BC’s coastal forests have a range
of 600 to 1300 tonnes C/ha. While it is known that older forests
do not grow as fast and therefore take up less carbon on an
annual basis, these intact ecosystems’ net carbon uptake
may be significant as they are accumulating large amounts
of carbon in the soils under the canopy. A study of an old
growth Douglas Fir forest just south of Vancouver reported
an annual carbon sink (sequestration rate) of between 0.2
and 2.2 tonnes C/ha/year. These rates of uptake would have
high variability and be dependant on local and regional site
conditions.
Rooted aquatic plants occur in shallow depths over major
areas of freshwater and coastal systems globally. These systems
are both highly productive and harbour a large diversity of
aquatic resources. Annual net primary productivity rates for
tidal freshwater marshes, salt marshes, mangroves and seagrasses
combined range from about 300-1000 gC/m2 which translates
to between 3 and 10 tonnes C/ha/year bound in plant material
worldwide, a significant sequestration function.
Eelgrass is one of approximately 50 species of seagrass.
Zostera marina, our native eelgrass, is distributed widely
throughout the northern hemisphere. Seagrasses are generally
submerged most of the time and fringe virtually all coastlines
in the world. They are among the most important primary producers
and form critical habitat for fish, invertebrates and birds.
Studies have found that coastal marsh and eelgrass systems
can build soil carbon if restored. This carbon is stored for
long periods. The rate of sequestration appears to be rapid
over the first few years and up to 40 years following restoration.
Furthermore observations of eelgrass detrital pathways indicate
that export of eelgrass biomass to deep areas of estuaries
as well as the coastal ocean may sequester more carbon. In
terms of carbon sinks eelgrass systems on northwestern North
America can store an estimated 3.4 tonnes C/ha. Given the
depositional nature of many of the environments occupied by
eelgrass, this plant and sediment carbon can be bound for
very long periods of time (in the order of centuries in some
instances). Annual sequestration rate for an intact eelgrass
(Z. marina) ecosystem from one study in this region estimated
it at 2.8 tonnes C/ha/year. Other studies elsewhere estimated
ranges from 0.66 to 4.98 tonnes C/ha/year.
Investing in Carbon Stewardship
In offering this opportunity to invest in Carbon Stewardship
projects in coastal British Columbia, the Coastal Zone Canada
Association has selected two organizations to be recipients
of these funds. They are the Land Trust Alliance of British
Columbia (LTABC) and the SeaChange Marine Conservation Society
(SeaChange). The LTABC is the umbrella organization for 28
land trusts and an additional 23 conservation and stewardship
organizations. These groups collectively protect and conserve
private lands through purchase, conservation covenants/easements
and stewardship agreements. The lands protected include old
forests, riparian areas, wetlands, farms and ranches and grasslands.
In total these groups manage over 250,000 ha of private conservation
lands in British Columbia. SeaChange is a non-profit that
focuses on eelgrass conservation (mapping), restoration and
outreach campaigns to reduce our impacts on British Columbia’s
coastal nearshore systems. It is the key organization in the
coast-wide community-based BC Community Eelgrass Network.
SeaChange has had particular success in the rehabilitation
and restoration of degraded eelgrass systems throughout British
Columbia. Over forty sites in the Georgia Basin alone have
been identified as potential eelgrass restoration sites.
In order to assure conference attendees that the projects
selected will actually contribute to a real reduction in carbon
emissions, the two organizations will agree to the following:
- A baseline determination that the project demonstrates
real greenhouse gas emissions reductions. This is termed
additionality which in the case of the LTABC it would be
avoiding emissions by preventing the conversion of forest
land to another use. The amount of emissions avoided would
be estimated and the carbon sequestration rate under conservation
would be used for the offset. For SeaChange it would be
the annual rate of sequestration of carbon from a newly
restored eelgrass bed above the baseline of original degraded
system or the amount of carbon emissions reduced by conserving
eelgrass habitats through stewardship activities.
- An accounting of the permanence of the project and hence
its offset or greenhouse gas reductions including any potential
for reversal in the future. In the case of land trusts all
acquisition of lands are for permanent conservation of the
values while conservation covenants/easements go with the
lands in perpetuity. Reversals over time related to fire
and disease will be mitigated through reduction of fire
risk and management activities that reduce incidences of
disease over time. Conservation and restoration of eelgrass
meadows will be accomplished in the long term through outreach
campaigns that could affect local regulation of upland uses
and regulation of recreational boating and moorage and community
mapping and monitoring efforts.
- An account of the key potential uncertainties such as
“leakage” due to activities to reduce emissions
causing increased emissions elsewhere. For example, protecting
one area displaces or intensifies activities in another
area. Each project supported will attempt to address this
guideline. For example, SeaChange will track eelgrass restoration
work separately from compensation/mitigation projects.
- Ensure that the carbon stewardship benefits of the project
are monitored and verified over time. For both organizations,
the projects will have mandatory monitoring and reporting
requirements, which will include ensuring that the emissions
reductions continue over time.
It should be made clear that funds would be used for conservation
and restoration. To do so funds generated through this initiative
are going into a special accounts set up by the LTABC and
SeaChange towards both activities and these accounts would
build up over time to be invested into an eelgrass restoration
or coastal forest conservation project.
How do I participate?
If you wish to take advantage of this opportunity, you will
be required to do the following:
- Calculate your personal CO2 equivalent or carbon emissions
related to your travel to the conference. This could include
air travel (roundtrip), car travel and other conveyances
(bus, train, ferry). An example is round trip from Halifax
to Vancouver and back is about 8900 km by air and you would
generate 1.95 tonnes of carbon emissions for this trip.
There are various websites that offer carbon emission calculators
for example http://www.terrapass.com/flight/flightcalc.php
for flights or http://www.terrapass.com/road/carbon-emissions-calculator.php
for driving.
- Indicate on your registration form that you wish to contribute
to our Carbon Stewardship program.
- Decide how much of your carbon emissions you wish to offset
(100%, 50% , etc.)
- Include in your registration fees your payment to offset
your carbon emissions.
Cost
Based on the current social costs of carbon emissions on
the trading markets the cost is between US$43 and US$50 per
tonne of carbon emitted.
Selected References
Wilson, S.J. and R.J. Hebda. 2008. Mitigating and Adapting
to Climate Change through the Conservation of Nature in British
Columbia. Land Trust Alliance of British Columbia, Salt Spring
Island. 58 p. available on-line www.landtrustalliance.bc.ca/research
Thom, R.M, S.L. Blanton, D.L. Woodruff, G.D. Williams and
A.B Borde, n.d. Carbon Sinks in Nearshore Marine Vegetated
Ecosystems. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Marine
Sciences Laboratory. Sequim, Washington, USA.
Hughes, Z. 2006. Ecological and Economic Assessment of Potential
Eelgrass Expansion at Sucia Island, Washington. University
of Washington.
|
