A global agenda for collective action on soil carbon

Vermeulen, Sonja J.; Bossio, Deborah A.; Lehmann, Johannes; Luu, Paul; Paustian, Keith; Webb, Christopher; Auge, Flore; Bacudo, Imelda; Baedeker, Tobías; Havemann, T.; Jones, Ceris; King, Richard; Reddy, M. Shekar; Sunga, Ishmael; Unger, Moritz von; Warnken, Matthew

doi:10.1038/s41893-018-0212-z

Cited by 71 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 9 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…At the same time, nations are moving forward to invest in solutions and set targets that address the food security and land use commitments of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Beyond governments, a growing number of companies are including soil organic carbon within their set of options to build the resilience and long-term profitability of agricultural value chains 9 . The enthusiasm arises because, in general, soil carbon enhancement practices are considered to have positive co-benefits, do not require additional land area, have minimal water footprint, and are readily deployable considering that they do not require changes in land use 11,14 .…”

Section: Status Of Soil Carbon As a Climate Solutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of soil carbon in natural climate solutions

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Mitigating climate change requires clean energy and removing atmospheric carbon. Building soil carbon is an appealing way to increase carbon sinks and reduce emissions due to the associated benefits to agriculture. However, practical implementation of soil carbon climate strategies lag behind the potential, partly because we lack clarity around the magnitude of opportunity and how to capitalize on it. Here we quantify the role of soil carbon in natural (landbased) climate solutions (NCS), and review some of the project design mechanisms available to tap into the potential. We show that soil carbon represents 25% of the 23.8 GtCO2eyr-1 NCS potential of which 40% is protection of existing soil carbon and 60% is rebuilding depleted stocks. Soil carbon comprises 9% of the mitigation potential of forests, 72% for wetlands, and 47% for agriculture and grasslands. Soil carbon is important to land-based efforts to prevent carbon emissions, remove atmospheric carbon dioxide and deliver ecosystem services in addition to climate mitigation. Protecting and restoring soil organic matter delivers many benefits to people and nature 1,2. Globally, soils hold three times more carbon than the atmosphere 3 , and the role of soil organic matter as a regulator of climate has been recognized by scientists for decades 4. Recent work has highlighted the historical loss of carbon from this pool 3 , and the threat of future accelerated loss under warming scenarios 4,5. Soil organic carbon as a natural climate solution (NCS) thus has a role both through restoring a carbon sink and protecting against further CO 2 emissions in response to predicted land use change and climate change. This dual role for soil in the global carbon budget suggests climate benefits can be achieved through strategies that both conserve existing soil organic carbon stocks (avoid loss), and restore stocks in carbon-depleted soils 6. There are important additional benefits. Protecting and increasing soil carbon storage can (i) protect or increase soil fertility, (ii) maintain or increase resilience to climate change, (iii) reduce soil erosion, and where implemented through conservation of natural ecosystems iv) reduce habitat conversion, all in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's) 7 , the goals of the United Nationals Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the United Nations Convention on Combating Desertification (UNCCD). As such, soil carbon is promoted as a common denominator amongst a variety of global and national initiatives 7. Although recent academic comment and perspective pieces point the way towards accelerated action on soils 8,9 , there remains much uncertainty around actionable pathways for achieving the global opportunity. Here we examine the scientific and policy context surrounding soil carbon projects, to aid prioritization and decision making.

show abstract

Section: Status Of Soil Carbon As a Climate Solutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of soil carbon in natural climate solutions

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…(2) Individual land managers do not focus on sequestering C but on agricultural production. Therefore, it is necessary to create additional incentives for farmers to sequester additional SOC, such as identifying enhancements in productivity, superior market access, or financial returns to carbon assets 66 .…”

Section: Economic and Political Opportunities To Achieve Widespread Amentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards a global-scale soil climate mitigation strategy

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Sustainable soil carbon sequestration practices need to be rapidly scaled up and implemented to contribute to climate change mitigation. We highlight that the major potential for carbon sequestration is in cropland soils, especially those with large yield gaps and/or large historic soil organic carbon losses. The implementation of soil carbon sequestration measures requires a diverse set of options, each adapted to local soil conditions and management opportunities, and accounting for site-specific trade-offs. We propose the establishment of a soil information system containing localised information on soil group, degradation status, crop yield gap, and the associated carbon-sequestration potentials, as well as the provision of incentives and policies to translate management options into region- and soil-specific practices.

show abstract

“…We argue that a widespread understanding of soil C accumulation and persistence as the result of flow and transformation of C as it moves through the soil profile, and the use of terminology that reflects these mechanisms, can support policy development to promote agricultural management strategies that both build persistent soil C stocks and support soil health. Many of the practices that support soil biological activity and C flows, and therefore both soil health and persistent C accumulation, are not new suggestions and have been gaining in popularity in recent years (Vermeulen et al, 2019). Implementation can be supported by the development of policies that promote and incentivize management practices that increase soil biological capacity.…”

Section: Contributions To C Flow Potential C Flow Tradeoffs Referencesmentioning

confidence: 99%