Scottish blue carbon action plan

Foreword from Chair of the Scottish Blue Carbon Forum

The Scottish Blue Carbon Forum has played a major role in driving a strong evidence-based approach to understanding Scotland’s blue carbon ecosystems and it is both a great privilege to chair the forum and to be part of the highly collaborative process of drafting this Blue Carbon Action Plan for Scotland.

Current guidance from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change supports direct Ocean Action through the reporting of climate change mitigation from blue carbon ecosystems. In drafting this action plan, we have been mindful of the scope for their inclusion in Nationally Determined Contributions, National Adaptation Plans and National Biodiversity Strategies. Scotland’s blue carbon ecosystems are therefore of major significance across a number of key international policies and drivers that are important across Scotland’s seas. Globally, their historical losses and degradation call for greater efforts in conservation and restoration and such actions remain low risk, low to moderate cost options that can leverage ocean, climate and biodiversity interlinkages. This Blue Carbon Action Plan, while focusing on the role of blue carbon for climate change mitigation, also recognises the importance of delivering natural climate change adaptation services – services which deliver coastal protection, support biodiversity, act as nursery grounds for commercially important fisheries, helping to sustain local economies and cultures around Scotland’s coastline.

I look forward to working with the many colleagues and stakeholders who have supported this Blue Carbon Action Plan and to help realise Scotland’s great wealth of blue carbon opportunities.

Professor William Austin, University of St Andrews

Chair of the Scottish Blue Carbon Forum