(WASHINGTON, DC — March 17, 2022) In a paper published today in the journal Science , researchers from Environmental Defense Fund and Woodwell Climate Research Center recommended creating a regional crediting framework to strengthen the integrity of the voluntary soil carbon market.
The recommendation followed a scientific review that revealed widely disparate approaches to measuring, reporting and verifying among the 12 published protocols used to generate soil carbon credits through carbon sequestration in croplands. This variation could lead to credits that aren’t consistent or comparable.
“To know whether the voluntary soil carbon market is driving down emissions, we need to know that one ton of carbon equals one ton of carbon, regardless of the protocol used. A regional approach would help make this possible, which is good for farmers, businesses and governments working toward climate solutions,” said Emily Oldfield , lead author and scientist at EDF. “This is the defining decade for slowing climate change. We need to get this right.”
Measuring progress at a regional scale instead of at the project or individual field level provides the following benefits:
“There’s growing momentum behind voluntary soil carbon credits, and it’s urgent that we ensure the market is able to deliver lasting climate benefits. Measuring and quantifying net soil carbon and greenhouse gas changes across regions reduces the risk of climate benefits being overstated and creates a stable, long-term foundation for the voluntary market,” said Jonathan Sanderman , contributing author and senior scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center.
The regional approach recommended in the Science paper takes inspiration from the jurisdictional approach that is gaining traction for generating high-quality carbon credits for tropical forest protection . The paper recommends basing a regional approach on existing land classifications used by the United States, European Union, India and China to group together areas with similar soils, climates, and agricultural potential and constraints.
Implementing the recommendations will require public and private investment and ample stakeholder engagement, but the benefits of a regional crediting approach are worth pursuing. This is the best way to ensure the voluntary soil carbon market generates measurable, reliable, long-term climate solutions.
###
One of the world’s leading international nonprofit organizations, Environmental Defense Fund ( edf.org ) creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. To do so, EDF links science, economics, law, and innovative private-sector partnerships. With more than 2.5 million members and offices in the United States, China, Mexico, Indonesia and the European Union, EDF’s scientists, economists, attorneys and policy experts are working in 28 countries to turn our solutions into action. Connect with us on Twitter and our Growing Returns blog .
Woodwell Climate Research Center is an organization of renowned researchers who work with a worldwide network of partners to understand and combat climate change. We bring together hands-on experience and 35 years of policy impact to develop societal-scale solutions that can be put into immediate action. Our Falmouth, MA headquarters are located on the traditional and sacred land of the Wampanoag people who still occupy this land, and whose history, language, traditional ways of life, and culture continue to influence this vibrant community. Woodwell Climate has earned Charity Navigator ’s highest rating of 4 stars, as well as a Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar . Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram or subscribe to our monthly newsletter .
Science
Commentary/editorial
Not applicable
Realizing agricultural soil carbon sequestration
17-Mar-2022