Hans Joosten, Kristina Brust, John Couwenberg, Alexander Gerner, Bettina Holsten, Thorsten Permien, Achim Schäfer, Franziska Tanneberger, Michael Trepel and Andreas Wahren MoorFutures® Integration of additional ecosystem services (including biodiversity) into carbon credits – standard, methodology and transferability to other regions BfN-Skripten 407 2015 MoorFutures® Integration of additional ecosystem services (including biodiversity) into carbon credits – standard, methodology and transferability to other regions Hans Joosten Kristina Brust John Couwenberg Alexander Gerner Bettina Holsten Thorsten Permien Achim Schäfer Franziska Tanneberger Michael Trepel Andreas Wahren Cover picture: The rewetted Kieve Polder, July 2014 (© J. Couwenberg). Author’s addresses: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Hans Joosten Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University of Greifswald John Couwenberg Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology Achim Schäfer Soldmannstraße 15, 17487 Greifswald, Germany Dr. Franziska Tanneberger E-Mail: [email protected] Kristina Brust Dr. Dittrich & Partner Hydro-Consult GmbH Alexander Gerner Gerlinger Straße 4, 01728 Bannewitz, Germany Andreas Wahren E-Mail: [email protected] Dr. Bettina Holsten Kiel University PD Dr. Michael Trepel Institute for Ecosystem Research Olshausenstraße 75, 24118 Kiel, Germany E-Mail: [email protected] Dr. Thorsten Permien Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Consumer Protection Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Division 2 – Sustainable Development, Foresty and Nature Protection Dreescher Markt 2, 19061 Schwerin, Germany E-Mail: [email protected] John Couwenberg DUENE e.V. c/o Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University of Greifswald Achim Schäfer Soldmannstraße 15, 17487 Greifswald, Germany E-Mail: [email protected] Dr. Franziska Tanneberger Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research − UFZ Permoser Straße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany E-Mail: [email protected] Scientific Supervision at BfN: Division I 2.1 “Legal Affairs, Economics and Ecologically Sound Regional Katharina Dietrich Development” This publication is a translation of BfN Skript 350, published in 2013. 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ISBN 978-3-89624-142-9 Bonn, Germany 2015 Table of contents 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 12 2 Peatlands, climate and carbon markets ....................................................................... 14 2.1 Peatlands and climate ................................................................................................... 14 2.2 Peatlands in international climate protection agreements ............................................. 15 2.3 Peatlands and the Voluntary Carbon Trading System .................................................. 18 2.4 Carbon Credits from Peatlands and the Mapping of other Ecosystem Services ........... 19 3 Criteria for the generation of credits for the carbon market ....................................... 22 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 22 3.2 Additionality ................................................................................................................... 22 3.3 Measurability ................................................................................................................. 23 3.4 Verifiability ..................................................................................................................... 25 3.5 Conservativeness ......................................................................................................... 25 3.6 Reliability ....................................................................................................................... 26 3.7 Sustainability ................................................................................................................. 26 3.8 Permanence .................................................................................................................. 26 3.9 Reference ...................................................................................................................... 29 3.10 Project crediting period .................................................................................................. 30 3.11 Leakage ......................................................................................................................... 30 4 Standard and methodology of MoorFutures® carbon credits (v. 1.0) ........................ 31 4.1 Standard ........................................................................................................................ 31 4.2 Methodology .................................................................................................................. 35 4.3 Results for Kieve Polder ................................................................................................ 38 4.4 Comparison with other Standards ................................................................................. 43 5 Standard and methodology for other ecosystem services in MoorFutures®-Carbon credits (Version 2.0) ................................................................. 44 5.1 Overview of standard and methodology ........................................................................ 44 5.2 Improved water quality .................................................................................................. 45 5.2.1 Changes following rewetting .............................................................................. 45 5.2.2 Methodology ...................................................................................................... 45 5.2.3 Results for the Kieve Polder .............................................................................. 50 5.3 Flood mitigation ............................................................................................................. 52 5.3.1 Changes following rewetting .............................................................................. 52 5.3.2 Methodology ...................................................................................................... 53 5.3.3 Results for the Kieve Polder .............................................................................. 55 5.4 Increased groundwater store ......................................................................................... 58 5.4.1 Changes following rewetting .............................................................................. 58 5.4.2 Methodology ...................................................................................................... 59 5.4.3 Results for Kieve Polder .................................................................................... 62 5.5 Evaporative cooling ....................................................................................................... 63 5.5.1 Changes following rewetting .............................................................................. 63 5.5.2 Methodology ...................................................................................................... 64 5.5.3 Results for Kieve Polder .................................................................................... 70 5.6 Increased mire-typical biodiversity ................................................................................ 71 3 5.6.1 Changes following rewetting .............................................................................. 71 5.6.2 Methodology ...................................................................................................... 75 5.6.3 Results for Kieve Polder .................................................................................... 79 6 Challenges for future development ............................................................................... 83 6.1 Standard ........................................................................................................................ 83 6.2 Methodologies ............................................................................................................... 84 6.2.1 Greenhouse gas emission reduction ................................................................. 84 6.2.2 Improved water quality ......................................................................................