8
1.2.2 Blue Carbon Report
The goal of the UNEP report was not only to present the scientific evidence that the
ocean absorbs more CO 2 than land, but also to point out that the shallow coastal
areas are extremely important sites of carbon sequestration and storage. At the
beginning the UNEP report states, “The purpose of the report highlights the clear
role played by oceans and marine ecosystems in climate control, to help marine
policy planning for climate change” and to develop countermeasures for climate
change using blue carbon. The first chapter of the UNEP report discusses the carbon
cycle on a global scale and explains the effects of the large contribution of the ocean
to the carbon cycle. The second chapter describes the anthropogenic emissions of
greenhouse gases (CO 2 , methane, etc.) and compares those emissions with the rate
of CO 2 taken up by terrestrial organisms. The third chapter explains the processes
that make up the carbon cycle and the role of the ocean in mitigating global warming. The fourth chapter discusses the sequestration and storage of blue carbon in
shallow coastal areas and the associated mechanisms. The fifth chapter concerns the
degradation and loss of shallow coastal areas. The importance of these areas for
blue carbon sequestration and storage accounts for much of the concern over their
degradation and loss.
In addition to the biogeochemical aspects of blue carbon, the UNEP report
addresses social issues in chapters six to eight and stresses that, “The objective is to
help policy planning”. The sixth chapter explains that the sequestration and storage
of blue carbon in healthy ecosystems is closely related to human well-being. The
seventh chapter presents examples to illustrate the ecological-based adaptation and
mitigation measures necessary to maintain a healthy coastal ecosystem despite
future climate changes. The eighth and concluding chapter discusses five key policy
options. The following is an outline of the UNEP report.
1. Of the carbon isolated by biological processes on Earth, marine organisms
sequester 55%. Green carbon is a collective term that includes all carbon incorporated into organic matter through the photosynthetic activity of plants (the
term ‘blue carbon’ is defined later in the UNEP report; only carbon incorporated
into terrestrial organisms and marine organisms is currently called ‘green carbon’, and ‘blue carbon’, respectively). Forms of carbon that human beings have
used (greenhouse gases such as CO 2 ), such as particulate matters and smoke
from the combustion of fossil fuel, timber or vegetation, are called black carbon
and brown carbon, respectively. Concentrations of black and brown carbon have
been increasing steadily with global economic development, and their influence
on climate, food production, and human beings is increasing. Natural ecosystems that absorb CO 2 are reducing the concentrations of black and brown carbon
and mitigating their adverse impacts. However, the rate of decline of the capacity
of natural ecosystems to absorb CO 2 is one to two times faster than the rate of
reduction of black and brown carbon released annually by global transportation.
In other words, the amount of CO 2 that remains in the atmosphere without being
M. Hori et al.
1.2.2 Blue Carbon Report
The goal of the UNEP report was not only to present the scientific evidence that the
ocean absorbs more CO 2 than land, but also to point out that the shallow coastal
areas are extremely important sites of carbon sequestration and storage. At the
beginning the UNEP report states, “The purpose of the report highlights the clear
role played by oceans and marine ecosystems in climate control, to help marine
policy planning for climate change” and to develop countermeasures for climate
change using blue carbon. The first chapter of the UNEP report discusses the carbon
cycle on a global scale and explains the effects of the large contribution of the ocean
to the carbon cycle. The second chapter describes the anthropogenic emissions of
greenhouse gases (CO 2 , methane, etc.) and compares those emissions with the rate
of CO 2 taken up by terrestrial organisms. The third chapter explains the processes
that make up the carbon cycle and the role of the ocean in mitigating global warming. The fourth chapter discusses the sequestration and storage of blue carbon in
shallow coastal areas and the associated mechanisms. The fifth chapter concerns the
degradation and loss of shallow coastal areas. The importance of these areas for
blue carbon sequestration and storage accounts for much of the concern over their
degradation and loss.
In addition to the biogeochemical aspects of blue carbon, the UNEP report
addresses social issues in chapters six to eight and stresses that, “The objective is to
help policy planning”. The sixth chapter explains that the sequestration and storage
of blue carbon in healthy ecosystems is closely related to human well-being. The
seventh chapter presents examples to illustrate the ecological-based adaptation and
mitigation measures necessary to maintain a healthy coastal ecosystem despite
future climate changes. The eighth and concluding chapter discusses five key policy
options. The following is an outline of the UNEP report.
1. Of the carbon isolated by biological processes on Earth, marine organisms
sequester 55%. Green carbon is a collective term that includes all carbon incorporated into organic matter through the photosynthetic activity of plants (the
term ‘blue carbon’ is defined later in the UNEP report; only carbon incorporated
into terrestrial organisms and marine organisms is currently called ‘green carbon’, and ‘blue carbon’, respectively). Forms of carbon that human beings have
used (greenhouse gases such as CO 2 ), such as particulate matters and smoke
from the combustion of fossil fuel, timber or vegetation, are called black carbon
and brown carbon, respectively. Concentrations of black and brown carbon have
been increasing steadily with global economic development, and their influence
on climate, food production, and human beings is increasing. Natural ecosystems that absorb CO 2 are reducing the concentrations of black and brown carbon
and mitigating their adverse impacts. However, the rate of decline of the capacity
of natural ecosystems to absorb CO 2 is one to two times faster than the rate of
reduction of black and brown carbon released annually by global transportation.
In other words, the amount of CO 2 that remains in the atmosphere without being
M. Hori et al.