Page 17 - Livre_MOW_EN

15 /

“Each year, the destruction of coastal environments results in the emission

of carbon equivalent to one billion barrels of oil”

Denis Allemand, director of the Scientific Centre of Monaco

Although they represent less than 0.5% of the The preservation and restoration of coastal eco-
ocean’s surface, marine ecosystems seques- systems make it possible to compensate cur-
tering carbon, known as “blue carbon”, contain rent fossil fuel emissions and to avoid increasing
more than half of oceanic carbon reserves. concentration of greenhouse gases. To create
Composed of seagrass beds, mangroves and incentives for this conservation, the development
salt marshes, this sink has stocked carbon for of mechanisms such as carbon markets is pro-
millennia, while primary forest stocks carbon mising: actors have the choice between purcha-
on a scale of just centuries. By capturing CO , sing carbon on financial markets, or investing in
2
coastal and marine environments are therefore research and non-polluting energy. “Today’s price
indispensible allies in the fight against global for one ton of carbon is about 8 Euros on Euro-
warming. Seagrass beds, present on all conti- pean markets,” says Nathalie Hilmi, environmental
nents except the Antarctic, are estimated to economist at the CSM. “We are seeing stability
cover nearly 60 million hectares, versus 40 mil- in carbon emission quotas, while the goal was
lion hectares for salt marshes and 15 million for to progressively reduce them. This is delaying
mangroves. “A single hectare of healthy seagrass the impact on the global volume of emissions.
stocks as much carbon as 15 hectares of Ama- A price of 30 Euros per ton would certainly be
zonian forest,” explains Denis Allemand, scien- more dissuasive on CO emissions and create a
2
tific director of the Scientific Centre of Monaco. greater incentive to transition to renewables.” It is
still too early to estimate this mechanism’s impact
on pollution. More research is needed to develop
Victims of marine pollution, mechanical des- relevant financial and regulatory mechanisms to
truction from anchors and overfishing, seagrass help policy-makers act; existing “green carbon”
beds are under threat: it is estimated that 30% of models can offer inspiration.
these undersea prairies have been destroyed in
one half-century. Worse still is the situation of the
world’s mangroves, half of which have disap-
peared since 1950.
Seagrass beds, indicators and guardians
The situation is all the more worrisome now that of ocean health
we have a better understanding of the ecosystem
service of sequestration (the long-term capture
and storage of CO ) performed by these coastal They supply half of global farmed-fish production, ensure water
2
and maritime carbon sinks and their importance in
climate change mitigation and adaptation. “Each filtration, reduce the impacts of coastal pollution, encourage
year, the destruction of coastal environments sedimentation, protect coasts against erosion and limit the
results in the emission of carbon equivalent to one
billion barrels of oil,” Denis Allemand notes. consequences of extreme climate events.