Landscape Regeneration Solutions to the Interlinked Extinction and Climate Crises that support Sustainable Development
Lead Research Organisation:
UK CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY & HYDROLOGY
Department Name: Soils and Land Use (Bangor)
Abstract
Nature-based solutions (NbS*) are responses to societal challenges that involve working with nature to deliver benefits for both people and biodiversity. They include protecting existing ecosystems, restoring degraded ecosystems and managing working lands more sustainably. NbS are of national strategic importance in supporting the UK's net zero climate targets and the Government's ambition to improve the environment within a generation. They have gained international significance too: 131 countries include NbS in their UNFCCC climate change pledges. If well designed and robustly implemented, NbS will deliver multiple benefits for climate change mitigation and adaptation, enhance biodiversity, promote human wellbeing and support economic recovery. The challenge is that the implementation of NbS is often piecemeal, narrow in focus, and undermined by weak research/policy/practice connections. UCam-Regen will redress this problem by applying its breadth of expertise in a practically driven analysis that provides the knowledge and tools needed to address several challenges facing the delivery of NbS:
NbS can contribute significantly to achieving net zero emissions, although the extent of that contribution is limited by the finite amount of land available and critically by the effects of climate change on ecosystems. NbS are not an alternative to decarbonising the economy and must be accompanied by swift, deep emissions cuts; they must be designed with and for local communities; and they must deliver measurable benefits for biodiversity and be designed to be resilient to climate change i.e. a 'whole systems approach' must be applied - as in UCam-Regen - that integrates economies, societies, and nature.
Scaling up, restoration and protection of key ecosystems across UK landscapes requires (a) better protection of natural habitats in the planning system; (b) reforming agriculture and forestry subsidies to better support actions that benefit both climate regulation and biodiversity; (c) connecting habitats across landscapes, building on the emerging Nature Recovery Networks; (d) making it compulsory to build an NbS framework into all new developments, and (e) making space on land for natural systems to adapt to climate change.
There is a need to develop robust metrics to assess the effectiveness of a wide range of NbS for carbon sequestration, water regulation, biodiversity and human wellbeing. Well-designed new financing mechanisms, including tax incentives and public subsidies for ecosystem stewardship that meet the NbS guidelines and support climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation and biodiversity, could be instrumental for upscaling NbS and improving social-ecological resilience to climate change, both in the UK and globally.
UCam-Regen addresses these challenges by applying a whole systems approach to deliver knowledge and tools necessary to regenerate UK landscapes using NbS approaches. At the heart of the proposal is a recognition that local communities must be engaged with decisions regarding their landscape's future and co-produce solutions, informed by scientific assessments of the optimal landscape management approaches to maximise the delivery of ecosystem services.
*We take policy recommendation and definitions from a COP26 Universities Network Briefing led by Prof Coomes https://www.gla.ac.uk/media/Media_790171_smxx.pdf
NbS can contribute significantly to achieving net zero emissions, although the extent of that contribution is limited by the finite amount of land available and critically by the effects of climate change on ecosystems. NbS are not an alternative to decarbonising the economy and must be accompanied by swift, deep emissions cuts; they must be designed with and for local communities; and they must deliver measurable benefits for biodiversity and be designed to be resilient to climate change i.e. a 'whole systems approach' must be applied - as in UCam-Regen - that integrates economies, societies, and nature.
Scaling up, restoration and protection of key ecosystems across UK landscapes requires (a) better protection of natural habitats in the planning system; (b) reforming agriculture and forestry subsidies to better support actions that benefit both climate regulation and biodiversity; (c) connecting habitats across landscapes, building on the emerging Nature Recovery Networks; (d) making it compulsory to build an NbS framework into all new developments, and (e) making space on land for natural systems to adapt to climate change.
There is a need to develop robust metrics to assess the effectiveness of a wide range of NbS for carbon sequestration, water regulation, biodiversity and human wellbeing. Well-designed new financing mechanisms, including tax incentives and public subsidies for ecosystem stewardship that meet the NbS guidelines and support climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation and biodiversity, could be instrumental for upscaling NbS and improving social-ecological resilience to climate change, both in the UK and globally.
UCam-Regen addresses these challenges by applying a whole systems approach to deliver knowledge and tools necessary to regenerate UK landscapes using NbS approaches. At the heart of the proposal is a recognition that local communities must be engaged with decisions regarding their landscape's future and co-produce solutions, informed by scientific assessments of the optimal landscape management approaches to maximise the delivery of ecosystem services.
*We take policy recommendation and definitions from a COP26 Universities Network Briefing led by Prof Coomes https://www.gla.ac.uk/media/Media_790171_smxx.pdf
People |
ORCID iD |
Christopher Evans (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Lloyd I
(2023)
State of Knowledge on UK Agricultural Peatlands for Food Production and the Net Zero Transition
in Sustainability
Description | Contributions to the Defra Lowland Agricultural Peat Task Force |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Impact | Ongoing, but task force recommendations are contributing to the development of government policy on future management of lowland agricultural peatlands, including GGR potential, via ELMS, changes in regulation, engagement with the farming community and the identification of infrastructure, water resource and regulatory needs to support environmentally and economically sustainable management. |
Description | Updated reporting of GHG emissions and removals for the UK Peatland Code |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
Impact | The Peatland Code forms the primary UK mechanism to support private sector investment in peatland restoration, and subsequent generation of carbon credits. It is expected to underpin future investment via the Nature Impact Fund. To date, credits have only been generated based on emissions reductions, but the updated methodology has the potential to support investment in peatland restoration and management for greenhouse gas removal. If peat GGR can be successfully demonstrated, the updated Peatland Code offers a investment and reporting mechanism to support implementation at a UK scale, supporting UK Net Zero policies and generating wider public co-benefits by enabling greater investment in ecosystem restoration. |
URL | https://www.iucn-uk-peatlandprogramme.org/news/launch-peatland-code-version-20 |
Description | Advisory board, Dutch NOBV peatland project |
Organisation | Deltares |
Country | Netherlands |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Chris Evans was appointed as a member of the international scientific advisory board of the Dutch NOBV peatland project, and has attended two meetings and field site visits in the Netherlands. The project is developing methods to quantify GHG emissions from agriculturally managed peatlands, including a significant contribution from ditches and canals, using a combination of flux towers and floating chambers, so the engagement has led to a two-way exchange of methods, results and ideas. The project involves engagement with Dutch government and farming representatives and also other international researchers working on this topic. |
Collaborator Contribution | See previous response. A member of the NOBV team attended the Fenland Soil conference in Ely, April 2023 |
Impact | Collaboration has led to ongoing engagement on measurement methods, mitigation options and comparison of results |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Advisory board, German MoMoK project |
Organisation | Thünen Institute of Forest Ecosystems |
Country | Germany |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Chris Evans is a member of the MoMoK project international scientific advisory board. The role includes participation in meetings, exchange of methods for assessment of peatland soils and measurement of GHG emissions, results and ideas, and ongoing collaboration on joint research and publications. |
Collaborator Contribution | The MoMoK methods for field-scale soil carbon assessment were shared with the UK team. A member of the MoMoK team attended the Fenland Soil conference in Ely in April 2023. |
Impact | Ongoing collaboration on peatland monitoring, mitigation of GHG emissions and translation of science into policy and land-management decision-making |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Farmers Weekly interview |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Chris Evans was interviewed by Farmers Weekly for an article on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural peatlands |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.fwi.co.uk/news/environment/carbon/how-fenland-farmers-are-cutting-greenhouse-gases-from-... |
Description | Fenland Soil conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The Fenland Soil team organised a major conference in Ely, Cambridgeshire, bringing together an audience of national and international peatland researchers, national policy leads, NGOs, businesses and over 100 members of the farming community, to discuss the future of land-management on peatlands in the Fens and internationally. Members of the CLR team from UKCEH and Cambridge University gave plenary presentations and were involved in discussion panels, workshops, field visits and media activities, including an interview for Farmers Weekly. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.fenlandsoil.org/conference-2023/ |
Description | IUCN Peatland Conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Chris Evans gave a plenary presentation measuring and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from agriculturally managed peatlands, including opportunities for reducing emissions within conventional farming systems and approaches to manage peatlands for carbon capture and storage |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.iucn-uk-peatlandprogramme.org/conference-2023 |
Description | Net Zero podcast |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | UKCEH produced a podcast on the future of land-management on agricultural peatlands in the UK, and their role in achieving net zero. Chris Evans was interviewed alongside a Fenland farmer, Craig Taylor, at the new Pymoor GGR demonstrator, CLR and Ag Zero Plus project field site. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://audioboom.com/posts/8448594-nature-for-net-zero-0 |