Afforestation:
• C sink, reduce atmospheric CO2, flood risks and soil erosion.
• UN’s Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) schemes
encourage LIDCs to conserve their forests, now has over 60 official partner countries.
Wetland Restoration:
• Account for 35% of terrestrial carbon pool.
• Protection schemes include International Conservation on Wetlands and the
European Union Habitats Directive.
• Restoration at local level involves raising water tables to create waterlogged
conditions. Also maintained by diverting or blocking drainage ditches and installing
sluice gates.
Improved agricultural practices:
• Mulching adds organic matter and prevents carbon losses.
• Rotation of rash crops with cover crops increases biomass returned to soil.
• Improved crop varieties increase productivity and enhance soil organic carbon (SOC).
Reducing emissions:
• Carbon Trading = Business allocated CO2 quota. Carbon credits received for lower
emissions and financial penalties/opportunity to purchase additional credits for
exceeding quota.
Carbon Offsets = Credits to countries/businesses for schemes such as afforestation
and use of renewable energy.
• International Agreements = Kyoto Protocol (1977), most EDCs agreed to legally
binding reductions in carbon emissions, however USA, India and China.
Paris Climate Convention (2015 implementation 2020), countries set their own nonlegally binding targets voluntarily.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change aim to limit increase to 1.5 degrees
(rather than 2 of Paris Agreement); emission must decline 45% from 2010 levels by
2030.
• UK ‘Clean Growth Strategy’ (2018), develop the economy whilst lowering carbon
emissions. Committee on Climate Change (CCC) = net 0 goal → Winter 19 degrees
thermostat, electric cars, reduce aviation, decrease meat and reduce food waste.
• Transport Innovations = Reduce emission from road and aviation transport.
Sustainable transport schemes, congestion charging (London), park and ride schemes
(Cambridge) and integrated transport networks (Curitiba, Brazil).
• CCS strategies
• Cement alternatives – 8% carbon dioxide emissions and 2nd most consumed resource
after water. CCS, novel cements (BioMason; bacteria grown bio-concrete blocks) and
clinker substitution offer largest reductions but very few low-carbon cements
reaching commercialisation.
