Overview

• WWF and Aviva’s new report finds UK saltmarshes are significant carbon sinks but face serious threat from rising sea levels
• Solar-powered carbon flux towers on the Ribble Estuary showed spring and summer CO₂ uptake outweighs autumn and winter releases, confirming net carbon storage
• Surface elevation tables at six sites indicate overall marsh height gains with regional variance, including expansion at Chichester and The Wash and losses in North Norfolk and the Ribble
• Experts warn 85% of the UK’s saltmarshes have been lost since the mid-19th century, with remaining habitats protecting over £200 billion in coastal assets
• The report calls for saltmarshes to be added to the UK greenhouse gas inventory to unlock funding and strengthen habitat protection and restoration