Mengis et al. (2023): Counting (on) blue carbon – Challenges and ways forward for carbon accounting of ecosystem-based carbon removal in marine environments
Nadine Mengis, Allanah Paul, Mar Fernández-Méndez IN: PLOS Clim 2(8): e0000148. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000148
Using blueCDR as an example, the authors highlight key challenges concerning the monitoring and evaluation of marine carbon fluxes for carbon crediting. Challenges specific to ecosystem-based CDR measures are i) the definition of baseline natural carbon fluxes, which is necessary for ii) clear anthropogenic CDR signal attribution, as well as iii) accounting for possible natural or anthropogenic disturbances of the carbon stock and hence an assessment for the durability of the carbon storage. In addition, the marine environment poses further monitoring and evaluation challenges due to i) temporal and spatial decoupling of the carbon capturing and sequestration processes, combined with ii) signal dilution due to high ecosystem connectivity, and iii) large pre-existing carbon stocks which makes any human-made increase in carbon stocks even harder to quantify.