This report is a fascinating read. Some really important research which hopefully will pave the way for helping better monetise the carbon that rewilding produces. It’s not the ‘answer’ for many landowners but rewilding schemes should be properly rewarded for the very important ecosystem services that they provide.
🌿Landmark report demonstrates impressive carbon sequestration potential of rewilding 🍃 Rewilding is known for the amazing biodiversity uplift it creates, but what about its role in fighting climate change? How much carbon does rewilding actually sequester? That is the question Nattergal Ltd, Arup and Knepp Estate together with our research partners Queen Mary University of London, Treeconomy and Agricarbon wanted to answer. We used a range of data capture techniques including LiDAR scanning, drones, Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry and soil carbon audits, to fill the data gaps around the wider climate benefits of the dynamic habitat mosaics and soil health recovery that emerge through rewilding. The results? Nattergal's Head of Natural Capital Ivan de Klee sums it up - 'the carbon sequestration rate at Knepp has been at least 5.20tCO2e/ha/yr over the past 20 years, which is a similar magnitude to those estimated by the Woodland Carbon Code’s calculator for a new native woodland (6.05 tCO2e/ha/yr). These figures remain conservative as recent and further research by Oxford University points to a high volume of biomass in the roots of browsed trees and shrubs, a pool of carbon not included in this report.' To have this data is incredibly exciting, it will enable carbon driven investment into a much greater diversity of nature-based solutions, and will help to scale the business case for ecosystem restoration. We have to keep filling these data gaps to create high integrity nature markets! A huge congrats to everyone who made the project happen 🙌 Ivan de Klee Lottie Trewick Matthew Hay Amy Carroll Read the report here : https://lnkd.in/emRVYvdm
