Stronger evidence needed for soil carbon as climate solution
A recent report emphasizes the urgent need for robust evidence to build trust in soil carbon sequestration as a viable climate mitigation strategy. While promising, current methods for measuring and verifying soil carbon changes face significant challenges. Experts call for improved standards to support large-scale investments.
Soil carbon sequestration has emerged as a key strategy in the fight against climate change, with potential to store vast amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in agricultural soils. However, a new report from the World Resources Institute (WRI), published in late 2023, warns that building trust in this approach requires stronger scientific evidence and better verification protocols.
The report, titled 'Building Trust in Soil Carbon as a Climate Solution Requires Stronger Evidence,' outlines the promise of soil carbon methods, which could offset up to 5-15% of global greenhouse gas emissions if scaled effectively. It highlights practices like no-till farming, cover cropping, and agroforestry as effective ways to enhance soil carbon levels. Yet, the document stresses that the evidence base remains insufficient for widespread adoption.
Key challenges include the difficulties in measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV). "While soil carbon sequestration holds great promise, the current evidence base is not yet robust enough to support large-scale investments," said Cynthia Rosenzweig, a co-author and director of the Climate Impacts Group at Columbia University's NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies. The report notes that soil carbon levels can vary widely due to factors like soil type, climate, and management practices, making accurate quantification complex.
To address these issues, the authors recommend developing standardized MRV protocols, investing in research for long-term monitoring, and integrating soil carbon into national climate policies. They point to pilot projects in the United States and Europe, where initial successes have been documented, but call for global collaboration to refine methodologies.
The implications are significant for carbon markets and policy. Without stronger evidence, soil carbon credits risk being undervalued or misused, potentially undermining climate goals. The report urges governments, farmers, and investors to prioritize evidence-building efforts to unlock soil's full potential as a nature-based solution.