The Abu Dhabi Blue Carbon Demonstration Project

3. International Voluntary Reporting Reporting Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions is part of the UAE’s international commitment under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Blue Carbon inventory development is important because it represents the starting point for any subsequent quantification of the carbon benefits associated with potential mitigation actions. These actions may include, for example, reducing emissions from Blue Carbon habitat loss/ degradation, protection/conservation of Blue Carbon biomass stocks, sustainable management of Blue Carbon ecosystems, and enhancement of carbon stocks The 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National GHG Inventories do not provide specific guidance for the estimation and reporting of anthropogenic GHG emissions from land use change in mangrove forests, salt marshes, seagrasses, or other Blue Carbon ecosystems. However, UNFCCC SBSTA 39 encourages Annex 1 countries to use the “2013 Supplement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories: Wetlands (Wetlands Supplement)” in preparing national inventories for 2015. Specifically, this recommendation (also a Policy Action recommendation) aims to develop a user-friendly GHG emission tool that can be applied to Blue Carbon ecosystems for periodic GHG emission estimation and reporting for Abu Dhabi. A key feature of the tool is for its design to be compatible with potential follow-on Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMA) activities under the UNFCCC, such as baseline establishment, demonstration of additionality, leakage, and permanence of emissions reductions. The tool will codify the emerging methodological guidance in the IPCC’s 2013 Supplement and should be linked to the information products of the Policy Action on Blue Carbon observation system. The use of this tool enables Abu Dhabi to better understand the GHG emission implications associated with past and current coastal development activities affecting Blue Carbon ecosystems. While it is recognised that it is likely that this would not result in any other carbon payments to Abu Dhabi/UAE post Kyoto, it would encourage a pioneering approach in international reporting, ensure that estimations are at a “macro” rather than project level and avoid definitional and eligibility issues for Blue Carbon at a local and national level.

© AGEDI /Riccardo Pravettoni

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