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The role of soil carbon in natural climate solutions

Published Article

Global

Publication date: January 20, 2016

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Soil carbon accounts for 25% of natural climate solution potential, offering major benefits for carbon removal and agriculture. Our analysis highlights strategies to protect and rebuild soil stocks, essential for reducing emissions and enhancing ecosystem services in global climate efforts.

 

Subject Tags

  • Natural climate solutions
  • Agriculture
  • Climate mitigation

Abtract

Mitigating climate change requires clean energy and the removal of atmospheric carbon. Building soil carbon is an appealing way to increase carbon sinks and reduce emissions owing to the associated benefits to agriculture. However, the practical implementation of soil carbon climate strategies lags 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 (land-based) climate solutions and review some of the project design mechanisms available to tap into the potential. We show that soil carbon represents 25% of the potential of natural climate solutions (total potential, 23.8 Gt of CO2-equivalent per year), 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.

Citation

Bossio, D.A., Cook-Patton, S.C., Ellis, P.W., Fargione, J., Sanderman, J., Smith, P., Wood, S., Zomer, R.J., Von Unger, M., Emmer, I.M. and Griscom, B.W., 2020. The role of soil carbon in natural climate solutions. Nature Sustainability, 3(5), pp.391-398.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-020-0491-z

Media Contacts

  • Deborah Bossio
    Lead Scientist Food & Water Systems Provide Food and Water
    The Nature Conservancy
    Email: deborah.bossio@tnc.org

  • Susan Cook-Patton
    Lead Reforestation Scientist Tackle Climate Change
    The Nature Conservancy
    Email: susan.cook-patton@tnc.org

  • Peter Ellis
    Dir, Global Natural Climate Solutions Science Tackle Climate Change
    The Nature Conservancy
    Email: pellis@tnc.org

  • Joseph E. Fargione
    Dir of Science, N Amer Region North America Office
    The Nature Conservancy
    Email: jfargione@tnc.org