The Blue Carbon Initiative (BCI) provides a globally coordinated programme to mitigate climate change by conserving and restoring coastal and marine ecosystems. In particular, the BCI focuses on how carbon can be captured, stored and sequestered in coastal ecosystems ('blue carbon') including mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrasses. The BCI is supported by the IOC, Conservation International and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
There are a number of ongoing initiatives around the world under the BCI, supported by partners and other organisations around the world. These initiatives are critical in demonstrating the viability of blue carbon and are split into policy activities, scientific activities and conservation/restoration activities. The UK is not actively involved in these programmes. However, to guide these projects the BCI has two working groups, of which there is UK representation on both.
This Working Group formed in 2011 to provide scientific foundation for the BCI. They have a number of aims including: highlighting the relevance of coastal carbon, creating global standards for quantifying coastal carbon (and data collection, control and archiving), supporting research on carbon dynamics in coastal ecosystems, developing conservation guidelines and supporting pilot projects for carbon in coastal ecosystems.
(UK Contact: Hilary Kennedy, Bangor University)
This Working Group provides policy foundation for the BCI. Their focus is to provide a framework for policy development to maximise conservation of carbon in coastal ecosystems, and to build an integrated blue carbon community that supports policy implementation.
The UK Contact was Dan Laffoley, but the group is in the process of relaunching.
Mpango wa Kaboni ya Bluu (BCI) ni mpango wa kimataifa wa kupunguza mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa kwa kuhifadhi na kurejesha mazingira ya pwani na baharini. Kwa mfano, BCI inazingatia jinsi kaboni inaweza kukamatwa, kuhifadhiwa na kuunganishwa katika mifumo ya ikolojia ya pwani (kaboni ya bluu), pamoja na mangroves, marshes ya mawimbi na nyasi za bahari. IOC, Conservation International na Umoja wa Kimataifa wa Uhifadhi wa Asili (IUCN) Kuna mipango kadhaa inayoendelea ulimwenguni kote chini ya BCI, inayoungwa mkono na washirika na mashirika mengine ulimwenguni kote. Hatua hizi ni muhimu katika kuonyesha uwezekano wa kaboni ya bluu na zimegawanywa katika shughuli za sera, shughuli za kisayansi na shughuli za uhifadhi / kurejesha. Uingereza haishiriki kikamilifu katika programu hizi. Kwa mujibu wa taarifa ya shirika hilo, shirika hilo lina vikundi viwili vya kazi, ambavyo vyote viwili vinawakilishwa na Uingereza. Kikundi hiki cha kazi kilianzishwa mnamo 2011 ili kutoa msingi wa kisayansi kwa BCI. "Mtazamo huu una lengo la ""kuangazia umuhimu wa kaboni ya pwani, kuunda viwango vya kimataifa vya kupima kaboni ya pwani (na ukusanyaji wa data, udhibiti na kuhifadhi), kusaidia utafiti juu ya nguvu za kaboni katika mifumo ya ikolojia ya pwani, kuendeleza miongozo ya uhifadhi na kusaidia miradi ya majaribio ya kaboni katika mifumo ya ikolojia ya pwani.""" (Uunganisho: Hilary Kennedy, Chuo Kikuu cha Bangor) Kikundi hiki cha Kazi hutoa msingi wa sera kwa BCI. Lengo la mradi huu ni kutoa mfumo wa maendeleo ya sera ili kuongeza uhifadhi wa kaboni katika mifumo ya ikolojia ya pwani, na kujenga jamii ya kaboni ya bluu iliyounganishwa ambayo inasaidia utekelezaji wa sera. Mkutano wa Uingereza ulikuwa Dan Laffoley, lakini kundi hilo liko katika mchakato wa kuzindua tena.