1 / 27

Implementing Ecosystem Services Within Policy Settings

Implementing Ecosystem Services Within Policy Settings. Suzie Greenhalgh Royal Society Workshop 9 August, 2011. Biodiversity, ES & Well-being. Ecosystem Services Today.

hans
Download Presentation

Implementing Ecosystem Services Within Policy Settings

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Implementing Ecosystem Services Within Policy Settings Suzie Greenhalgh Royal Society Workshop 9 August, 2011

  2. Biodiversity, ES & Well-being

  3. Ecosystem Services Today • Thinking in silos can lead to policy development & decisions that improves degraded ES BUT inadvertently damages other services • Post-MEA focus seems to be around • Valuing ecosystem services • Creating markets for ecosystem services • However, the real value of ES is thinking more holistically about our decisions

  4. What Ecosystem Services Offers Decision-making? • ES can facilitate integrated & holistic policy development • It provides a consistent set of ES to consider in decision-making • More structured framework than considering broad environmental, social, cultural & economic impacts

  5. Incorporating ES into Decisions 1. Frame the link between development & ES 2. Assess risks & opportunities 3. Explore future trends 4. Choose policy, planning & reporting approaches to sustain ES Identify the ES in play Screen the ES for relevance Assess the need for an economic valuation of services Assess the condition & trends of the relevant ES Identify ES risks & opportunities

  6. NZ examples of ES into Policy • DOC: Exploring how to link human well-being to ES to biodiversity • Regional Council draft policy statements • NRC: What we want to achieve for biod & ecosystems To recognize the true worth & public benefits arising from biodiversity values & ES to Northland’s social & economic well-being. • WRC: Decline in state of resources impacts ES • Objective on ES The range of ES associated with natural resources are recognized & maintained or enhanced to enable on-going contribution to regional well-being.

  7. Business engagement in ES • Strengthen corporate strategy • Mondi (international paper & packaging group) • Reduce risk of reputation & supply disruptions • Yves Rocher (global cosmetics firm) • Strengthen corporate decision-making processes • Eskom (South African power company) • ERM Ltd (global environmental consultancy) • AkzoNobel (paints and coatings company) • Identify new products & services • Syngenta (global agri-business group)

  8. Corporate Ecosystem Services Review 3. Analyze trends in priority services 4. Identify business risks & opportunities 2. Identify priority ecosystem services 5. Develop strategies 1. Select the scope Identify & evaluate business risks & opportunities that might arise due to the trends in these priority ecosystem services Research & evaluate conditions & trends in the priority ecosystem services, & drivers of these trends Choose boundary within which to conduct ESR Systematically evaluate the degree of a company’s dependence & impact on 20+ ecosystem services • Outline strategies for minimizing risks & maximizing opportunities through internal changes, sector or stakeholder engagement, policy-maker engagement

  9. ES, Modelling & Policy • Example: Assessing policy in Hurunui/Waiau catchments • Baseline: Current carbon price for all sectors already in ETS (ie. not agriculture) • Current carbon price on all sectors • Higher carbon price on all sectors • Nutrient cap • Nutrient cap with current carbon price on all sectors • Nutrient cap with higher carbon price on all sectors

  10. Net Catchment Revenue Impacts (% change in farm income) • All regulation reduces farm income • Nutrient cap has smaller impact than current ETS carbon price

  11. Catchment-level GHG Impacts(% change in GHG emissions) • Nutrient cap & ETS reduce GHG emissions • Nutrient cap reduces total GHG emissions more than current ETS carbon price • Nutrient cap reduces net GHG emissions more than both ETS carbon prices

  12. Nutrient Impacts (% change in N) • ETS has a relatively small impact on nitrogen losses

  13. Land-use (% change area)

  14. Policy implications of Modelling • Highlights benefits of looking more ES • Water quality policy alone can result in significant reduction in GHG emissions • GHG policy alone not as effective at reducing nutrient losses • Maybe more than “one way to skin a cat” • Given controversy over capping agricultural GHG emissions, a water quality policy may give you the desired reductions in GHGs • Still not sufficient as more ES need to be considered to understand true impact of a decision/policy

  15. A Research Snapshot • Tools & frameworks • Development of ES decision-making framework • Economic modelling that incorporates multiple ES • Policy reference guide • Framework for choosing between policy instruments • Implementation • Incorporating ES in regional policy • Integrating ES thinking with resource consents • Ecosystem Services Review for business

  16. Implementing Ecosystem Services Within Policy SettingsKey Contacts: General: greenhalghs@landcareresearch.co.nz daigneaulta@landcareresearch.co.nz Business: Stancuc@landcareresearch.co.nz

  17. Application to Hurunui Catchment • Growing concern over water use & environmental flows in North Canterbury • Proposed Hurunui Water Project (HWP) would nearly double area of land that can be irrigated (22 to 42 THA): • Opponents of HWP contest that additional irrigation would harm local ecosystem & impact river-based recreation opportunities • Regional Council also considering nutrient loading constraints in same catchment as HWP • Also need to consider implications of covering agriculture under NZ Emissions Trading Scheme in 2015

  18. ES, Modelling & Policy 2 • Example: Increased irrigation in Hurunui catchment • Baseline irrigation with no carbon price • Baseline irrigation with carbon price • Hurunui Water Project with no carbon price • Hurunui Water Project with carbon price • Hurunui Water Project with nutrient cap but no carbon price

  19. Baseline Results • Nearly all irrigation in high-production plains area • Sheep and beef dominant enterprise in Hurunui, with dairy and pine plantations in plains • Net GHGs lower because of sequestration in native vegetation on scrub and DOC land

  20. Net Catchment Revenue Impacts • Implementing irrigation scheme increases revenue relative to baseline • Adding carbon price reduces revenue for all scenarios as farmers ‘taxed’ for GHG intensive production • Capping N and P at baseline levels with irrigation scheme still results in economic gains

  21. Change in Aggregate Enterprise Area • Implementing irrigation scheme shifts forest and scrub to dairy and arable land • Aggregate area of Sheep and beef change minimal, but shift does occur from dryland to irrigated • Adding carbon price promotes expansion of forests as receive payments for carbon sequestration • Arable crops still viable option for irrigation scheme with carbon price as less GHG intensive

  22. Catchment-level GHG Impacts • Implementing irrigation scheme increases emissions by 19-64% from increased intensity and deforestation • Adding carbon price reduces emissions below baseline for all scenarios • Capping N and P at baseline levels results in net GHG emissions as landowners increase area of pine plantations

  23. Breakout of GHGs (tons CO2e) • Proportion of emissions roughly match latest national GHG inventory figures • Annual forest carbon sequestration in baseline is all from native vegetation as model assumes same proportion of pine cut per annum is re-planted • Additional forest sequestration in policy scenarios is from new pine or less conversion of scrub to pasture

  24. Nutrient Impacts • Implementing irrigation scheme increases N by 19% and P by 3% from more intensive land use • Adding carbon price reduces nutrient loadings, but need close to $40/tCo2e to get near baseline levels for increased irrigation scenarios

  25. Summary • NZ-FARM can estimate economic & some ES impacts from various policy & land mgt decisions • Hurunui results demonstrates importance of acknowledging trade-offs • may not be a ‘win-win’ situation when considering expansion of irrigation along with improvement/preservation of environmental quality • Model currently tracks water use, nutrients & GHGs but more ES could be added • Considering adding qualitative aspects to model results/discussion to at least indicate likely directional change of other ES

  26. NZ-FARM – Key Components • Land-use/enterprises: • Pastoral: dairy, sheep, beef, deer, pigs • Arable: wheat, barley, maize • Horticultural: potatoes, grapes, berryfruit • Forestry: pine, eucalyptus, native • Other: scrub and Dept of Conservation land • Environmental outputs: • Nutrients: Nitrogen and Phosphorous • Water use • GHGs for farm and forest activities • Exploring water yield, sediments & pollination • Endogenous farm practices: • Change enterprise or land use • Adjust fertilizer and stocking rates • Add dairy feed pad or apply DCDs • Enter forest carbon sequestration programme

  27. Aligned Activities:Policy Choice Framework • Freshwater Values, Monitoring & Outcomes Programme • To determine appropriate policy response(s) to an issue • 3 stages: Stage 1: Primary instrument selection • Clarify cost/benefit justification for govt intervention Stage 2: Land holder impacts • Landholder responses to policy instrument & its design Stage 3: Organisational responses • Impact on the organisation implementing proposed policies & what this means for achieving the policy objective.

More Related