We’ve reviewed ecosystem services several times over the years, including payment for them, the potential for ecotourism as a service, and we’re glad to read that the idea is becoming popular again with the new Paris Agreement. Kelly Barnett reports for GreenBiz, starting with coverage on the Adaptation Futures conference in Rotterdam:

In just three days here, roughly 40 presentations focused on the subject of “ecosystems and ecosystem based-adaptation,” and they focused on everything from the restoration of salt marshes that protect coastal communities from rising tides to the protection of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, which supports a massive agricultural economy.

The event comes just two weeks after Earth Day, when 175 countries signed the Paris Agreement to combat climate change —  in part by “ensuring the integrity of all ecosystems, including oceans, and the protection of biodiversity, recognized by some cultures as Mother Earth.”

The agreement both sets and reflects an agenda taking place round the world, as issues long popular among theorists gain traction among practitioners —  some of whom point to Article 5 of the Paris Agreement, the forest clause, which states, “Parties should take action to conserve and enhance, as appropriate, sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases,” as significant language regarding ecosystems.

“It’s recognition of conservation’s value in fighting climate change,” said Shyla Raghav, director of climate change policy at Conservation International (CI). “I think having such a repeated mention of ecosystems is a testament to the fact that nature was really at the front of minds at Paris.”

Josefina Brana-Varela, senior director of WWF’s Forest and Climate team, agreed, saying the global pact clearly states climate actions must be done in a way that ensures the integrity of all ecosystems, and the agreement’s mention of the importance of non-carbon benefits is further evidence.

And after considering the many agendas trying to squeeze their way into the document, Brana-Varela said the text’s inclusion of ecosystems was an indication of their importance. “It sends the right message,” she said of the agreement, saying it provides the right amount of promotion and recognition to allow for a scaling up of ecosystems’ role in the fight against climate change.

The best of both worlds with ecosystems

The discussion over ecosystems, often in conjunction with consideration of indigenous tribes and human rights issues, is long and stretches back to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change’s formation. But it was something of a latecomer to the talks in Paris. This made groups focused on the issue, such as the REDD+ Safeguards Working Group, nervous when negotiators released drafts of the text and there was little inclusion on this topic, although they were satisfied with the final results.

Groups largely were concerned because ecosystems are a fundamental part of both facets of fighting climate change, mitigation and adaptation, and require proper representation in a global agreement, Raghav said. The aforementioned reference to enhancing sinks and reservoirs is clear recognition that many intact ecosystems, such as wetlands, mangroves and tropical forests, store carbon and therefore act as a mitigation tool.

Ecosystem-based adaptation, on the other hand, focuses on restoring ecosystems and sustainably managing them to help reduce climate vulnerability within communities and is increasingly an approach countries and decision-makers consider when faced with a changing climate, Raghav explained.

Read the rest of the article here.