VNN Peatlands Project Update

Assessing andvaluingpeatlandecosystem servicesfor sustainable management

Why do we need this project?• Society doesn’t pay for many of the benefits we take for granted from nature

Why do we need this project?• To pay for nature’s services we need to: – Quantify stocks & flows of benefits from nature – Understand how these stocks and flows are influenced by different ecosystem/other processes – Understand how the way we manage the land affects these processes, stocks & flows of benefits – Understand land manager motives/barriers

Why do we need this project?• Social-ecological systems are complex: – Multiple services – Services that interact & change over space & time – Different & changing values/priorities...

Why peatlands?

Why peatlands?• A complex social-ecological system in which to develop new insights/methods to value nature and better manage the environment• Opportunity to develop concrete policy contributions from our work• The insights/methods that emerge must be applicable to a wide range of ecological, policy & business settings

Aim 1a (VNN challenges 1-3)• Identify options for valuing changes to stocks and flows of multiple ecosystem services in complex socio- ecological systems using both monetary & non- monetary approaches

Aim 1b (VNN challenges 3 and 4)• Consider how this information might affect the design of financial mechanisms to lever investment in the provision of climate mitigation & adaptation (including developing a roadmap for a UK Peatland Carbon Code)

Aim 2 (VNN challenge 4)• Develop a peatland hub in which researchers and members of the practitioner and policy community can effectively communicate and work together to better understand the value of peatlands & manage them more sustainably

TimetableDates Activity(2012)18-19 Jan First project workshopFeb-April Report writingMay Reducing the cost of the WFD through Payments for Water Services (with water@leeds)May Second project workshop (1 day) to review progress and address specific report writing issuesJune Open workshop at IUCN/BES conference ‘Investing in Peatlands: Demonstrating Success’November Final report submitted

Planned outputsType of output DetailsVNN Project Report Synthesis report & concept note for full research programme for phase 2 VNNPapers in peer- The following is an indicative list:reviewed Review paper of relationships between biodiversity, environmental processesinternational and the delivery of ecosystem services, goods and value in UK peatlandsjournals Towards a framework for prioritising peatland restoration and conservation activities in the UK Valuation of water services for prioritization of peatland restoration: existing knowledge and challenges Paper on peatland greenhouse gas accounting and carbon markets Review paper on PES in agri-environment schemes to promote cross-boundary collaboration between land managers for ecosystem service managementPolicy briefings Policy brief 1: Peatland GHG accounting and carbon markets – a national and global perspective Policy brief 2: Road map for a UK Peatland Carbon Code Policy Brief 3: Policy options for continuing to provide multiple ecosystem services from UK peatlands through Payments for Ecosystem Services Policy Brief 4: Using PES to spread the costs of meeting WFD requirements

Planned outputsApplied Output: • Develop a peatland hub for researchers, policy-makers and practitioners, linkingDevelopment with existing initiativestoward peatland • Develop a road map for establishing peatland ecosystem service markets withcarbon code carbon as a key service and identify innovative financing mechanisms as well as steps towards regulatory frameworkWater industry To be held in May with water@leedsworkshopPresentations Presentation and meetings with relevant policy teams in DEFRA and DECC International academic conference presentationsOther Project findings will feed into ongoing research projects and policy processes e.g. DEFRA’s PES best practice guidelines, St George’s House Consultation on the Future of the Uplands, NERC’s Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services & Sustainability programme...

Policy Progress• Policy Brief 1 published with IUCN: The Kyoto Protocol and National Accounting for Peatlands• Policy Brief 2 (roadmap) in draft form, received positively by key decision-makers in DEFRA• Proposal made to EMTF• Drawing together our PES work with work from RELU/LWEC in RELU Briefing Paper to input to DEFRA’s PES Action Plan: you can help• Feeding into NEA2 project on shared values• Contributing to DEFRA’s PES Best Practice Guide

Peatland Gateway• Agency funding secured for first year• Interest from SG in future funding if we prove our worth and work alongside their CoEs• Co-ordinating a stream of activities in DEFRA’s Ecosystems Knowledge Network focussing on applying the Ecosystems Approach in peatlands, drawing on VNN work

Conference Presentations• Envecon2012• The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) conference, Leipzig 19-22 March 2012• Expert meeting: Peatland and organic soils climate change mitigation initiative, Rome 2-4 April 2012• UNFCCC Climate Change conference, Bonn, May 2012• European Congress of Conservation Biology, Glasgow, August 2012

Outreach• Media coverage in Guardian linked to Walshaw Estate story• Developing schools resources on the value of peatlands with Sustainable Uplands project

Papers in press• Reed et al. (in press) Anticipating and managing future trade-offs and complementarities between ecosystem services. Ecology & Society (building primarily on Sustainable Uplands work)

Full Rough Draft Peer-Reviewed Papers• Glenk et al. framework for prioritising peatland restoration and conservation activities in the UK• Martin-Ortega et al. Integrating hydrology and economics for valuation of peatland water services and restoration• Reed et al. PES in agri-environment schemes to manage ES at multiple scales• Bonn et al. Peatland greenhouse gas accounting and carbon markets

Outline Peer-Reviewed Papers• Evans et al. paper on relationships between biodiversity, environmental processes and the delivery of ecosystem services, goods and value in UK peatlands Considering special issue in Environmental Policy & Governance or Journal of Environmental Management

Links with other projects• Co-funding from Centre for Expertise in Climate Change (Scottish Government): – Supporting additional VNN work by Martin-Ortega and Glenk• Collaborating with BRIDGE to build on both projects in NEA2• And others through today’s activities!

VNN Peatlands Project Update

by Aberdeen CES

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