Dear UM Campus,
InMSEA and COASTAR will co-host a knowledge-sharing hybrid seminar by Dr Olivia Rendon from the Sea and Society Research Group, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, on ‘Blue carbon: benefits, feasibility, and financing for climate change mitigation.’
Date: 7 February 2023, Tuesday
Physical Venue: Azalea Meeting Room, Level 3 Block D,
Institute for Advanced Studies,
Universiti Malaya
Time: 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Light refreshments will be served. Register using this link: https://forms.gle/
If you join virtually, the link will be sent to you after registration.
If you are interested in speaking to Dr. Olivia Rendon personally during her visit to UM (either on Tues am or Wed the whole day), please email her (ore@pml.ac.uk) to make the necessary arrangements.
Please forward this to others that may benefit from this talk.
Abstract: There is an increasing global interest in developing blue carbon credits and schemes to meet net zero targets and Nationally Determined Contributions, and even to restore natural habitats for biodiversity conservation and other benefits. However, besides the current ecological uncertainties, there is an urgent need for research into clarifying the value of blue carbon and its wider co-benefits, as well as the feasibility of blue carbon development and sustainable financing in different contexts.
An improved understanding of multiple values and accounting for different beneficiaries, as well as investors and potential finance mechanisms, is necessary to enhance the role of blue carbon in climate change mitigation and wider global goals. This presentation will outline the ongoing blue carbon work of the Sea and Society (SaS) research group at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, including the NCI Transformative Global Coastal Ocean Science project, the FOCUS Future states Of the global Coastal ocean: Understanding for Solutions project, the Sea the Value - Valuing Marine Biodiversity for use in Decision Making project, and the BLUE project – Valuing the co-benefits of blue carbon schemes. This work will apply state-of-the-art valuation and ecosystem service approaches to understand the benefits of blue carbon in developed and ODA countries. This includes understanding the key financial constraints and enablers that underpin the successful development of blue carbon and other nature-based solutions.
The SaS group's vision is to stimulate interdisciplinary research, both in the natural and social sciences, that supports and accelerates the development of blue carbon understanding for society’s benefit. By working with natural scientists and furthering our economic and financial understanding of blue carbon, there is potential to develop and validate sustainable blue carbon schemes and mechanisms to achieve national to global targets.
About the Speaker: Dr. Olivia Rendón is an Environmental economist at Plymouth Marine Laboratory, specializing in the valuation of ecosystem services and its application to sustainable marine and coastal management. Her research aims to further our understanding of the relationship between communities and nature, including the study of the multiple values that humans hold for nature, quantifying natural/ anthropogenic impacts on nature and society, and exploring nature-based solutions to key environmental challenges. Her research seeks to inform more sustainable marine management and use across government-private sector-society to create impact by advising policy and decision-makers. For example, she recently contributed to the report “The Ocean: Turning the Tide on Climate Change” of the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Ocean. Key areas of her work include blue carbon and climate change, ecosystem-based management, flood and erosion management, and marine pollution (i.e., Nitrogen, light). Her research spans local to global scales, with a focus on interdisciplinary projects where she has developed ample experience working with academics, policymakers, managers, NGOs, and governments, among other actors.