Unlocking investment in nature
Achieving a green transition calls for a fundamental shift that places climate and nature at the heart of decision-making across society. Across all sectors, efforts are underway to understand environmental impacts and reimagine systems. UKCEH provides impartial scientific evidence and insight to guide this complex transformation, whilst balancing nature and carbon neutrality.
Nature markets provide a mechanism to access new funding streams by valuing ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, water quality improvement, biodiversity enhancement, and flood risk reduction. UKCEH scientists are well positioned to identify opportunities for nature restoration that can deliver these services and inform the development of marketable environmental units.
Our scientists have contributed to and led the development of codes which provide the scientific rigour needed to build trust in nature markets. These codes provide a robust framework for market operations, supporting measuring, selling, buying and monitoring ecosystem services.
UKCEH is leading a cross-sector consortium to develop and launch a UK Saltmarsh Code, similar to the existing Peatland and Woodland Codes. This will support a rigorous and scientifically-based voluntary certification standard for saltmarsh carbon to be marketed and traded by UK companies; and will assure buyers of carbon credits that the benefits being sold are real, quantifiable, additional and permanent.
Ongoing development of the UK Saltmarsh Carbon Code will pave the way for increased funding for saltmarsh restoration which will contribute towards the UK's net zero goals.
More about the Saltmarsh code >
UKCEH scientists led a major evidence review and developed new methods to update and expand the UK Peatland Code. The Peatland Code, supported by Defra and operated by the IUCN Peatland Programme, is the primary mechanism for private funding and generation of carbon credits for UK peat restoration.
The new method uses data from UKCEH’s flux tower network and elsewhere to update estimates of greenhouse gas emissions and removals for different peatland categories. It also extends the Peatland Code to cover lowland fen peats for the first time. The new method enables project developers to estimate emissions reductions that could be achieved by raising water levels, based on data analysis published in Nature in 2021.
