Regulation 19 Rutland Local Plan
Carbon Sinks and Sequestration
Carbon sequestration is the capture, removal, and long-term storage of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and is recognised as a key component in mitigating (or if at sufficient scale, potentially reversing) climate change. Carbon dioxide is naturally captured from the atmosphere through biological, chemical, and physical processes and is stored in vegetation, soils, and oceans. These are often referred to as carbon sinks. On land (and wetland), the main process by which this occurs is through the conversion of carbon dioxide into plant tissue through plants' growth processes, where it can be locked up for the plant's lifetime or longer if the plant tissue carbon is eventually trapped in soils or under water. On land wetlands store the largest amount of carbon per unit areas, followed by woodlands. The way in which we manage these carbon sinks can have a significant impact on carbon sequestration.
These processes can be accelerated or decelerated through changes in land use. For example, land currently used for non-crop purposes (such as trees or grasslands) which is lost to other uses (such as development or intensive agriculture) can reduce or even stop carbon sequestration from happening on that land. Grassland, scrub, arable land and especially wetlands and woodlands, sequester and store carbon. Development on these habitats is a major source of global greenhouse gas emissions. Drainage of wetlands can cause large releases of carbon as the formerly submerged soil is exposed to air. Vice versa, land which has no material carbon sequestration currently occurring can be converted, via alternative land use, to one which commences carbon sequestration. Overall, we need to protect land which has a role of positive carbon sequestration, and where possible create additional land fulfilling that function. To indicate the scale of action needed, the 2023 progress report on the UK's climate mitigation efforts shows that to hit the UK's committed carbon targets, the current tree-planting rate is too low (needing to double by 2025) as is the rate of peatland restoration (currently less than one-fifth of the rate it should be). Afforestation in particular is expected to play a key role in the UK's carbon targets, needing to increase the UK's forested area from 13% in 2020, to reach 15% in 2035 and 18% in 2050.Further guidance on carbon sinks and sequestration, including how to identify reliable, long-term and important carbon sinks can be found in the Natural England's publication: 'Carbon storage and sequestration by habitat (2021)': https://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/5419124441481216
What will the policy do?
Policy CC11 seeks to protect existing carbon sinks from development and promotes opportunities to enhance the function of existing carbon sinks
Policy CC11 - Carbon Sinks Comment
Existing carbon sinks should be protected, and where opportunities exist, they should be enhanced in order to continue to function as such. Where development is proposed on land containing carbon sinks, including woodland, trees, hedges, orchards scrub, open habitats, farmland and rivers, lakes, reservoirs and wetland habitats, the applicant must submit a proportionate evaluation of the impact of the proposal on any form of identified carbon sink as relevant. In all cases an appropriate management plan must be submitted.
There will be a presumption in favour of preservation of carbon sinks in-situ. Proposals that will result in unavoidable harm to, or loss of identified carbon sinks will only be permitted if it is demonstrated that:
- the site is allocated for development; or
- there is not a less harmful viable option for development of that site.
In any such case, the harm caused must be shown to have been reduced to the minimum possible and appropriate, satisfactory provision will be made for the evaluation, recording and interpretation of the carbon sink before commencement of development. Proposals to help strengthen existing, or create new, carbon sinks will be supported.
Policy CC12 - Carbon Sequestration Comment
The demonstration of meaningful carbon sequestration through nature-based solutions within a proposal will be a material consideration in the decision-making process. Material weight in favour of a proposal will be given where the net outcome is demonstrated to be a significant gain in nature-based carbon sequestration as a consequence of the proposal. Where a proposal will cause harm to an existing nature-based carbon sequestration process, weight against such a proposal will be given as a consequence of the harm, with the degree of weight dependent on the scale of net loss.
Why these policies are needed
Land plays a significant role in climate objectives, acting as both a source of greenhouse gas emissions and a carbon sink in the achievement of local and national carbon reduction commitments. Habitats such as woodlands and grasslands have a role to play in this regard. Alongside many other negative impacts, loss and degradation of natural habitats results in the direct loss of carbon stored within them.
Land based carbon sequestration, alongside technological means for removing carbon from the atmosphere, will have a role to play. While the role of planning in supporting the development of land for carbon sequestration is limited, planning policies already exist to protect nature sites, which almost without exception will function as a carbon sink, and further policies exist to require new development to provide new open space and deliver biodiversity net gain. However, in the absence of Policy CC12 there would be no requirement for the carbon sink function of land to be specifically considered at all in development decisions. Promotion of nature-based solutions, where natural systems are protected, restored, and managed can assist with the protection of carbon sinks while at the same time providing benefits for biodiversity and health and wellbeing. See also policies EN1- EN11 in Chapter 9 Environment.
