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Protection of soil carbon content as a climate change mitigation tool

Protection of soil carbon content as a climate change mitigation tool. Peter Wehrheim Head of Unit, DG CLIMA Unit A2: Climate finance and deforestation. Soil as Natural Capital: Agricultural Production, Soil Fertility and Farmers Economy, Brussels, 23 November 2011.

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Protection of soil carbon content as a climate change mitigation tool

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  1. Protection of soil carbon content as a climate change mitigation tool Peter WehrheimHead of Unit, DG CLIMA Unit A2: Climate finance and deforestation Soil as Natural Capital: Agricultural Production, Soil Fertility and Farmers Economy, Brussels,23 November 2011

  2. Green house gas cycles related to forestry, agriculture and soils CH4 and N20 are part of EU‘s reduction commitment! CO2 from soils is not!

  3. Agriculture GHG emissions by source (including CO2 from Energy, without CO2 from LULUCF) Again: CH4 + N20 + are included CO2 fromsoils is not! N fertilizers, manure Eructed by ruminants (80% cows) Fuel (tractors, machinery…), electricity… Storage, manipulation (50% pigs, 45% cows) Source: EEA

  4. From a climate point of view: Cows have a dual personality! Methane is accounted and part of the emission reduction commitment (Effort Sharing Decision)! Carbon removed through grassland (LULUCF) is NEITHER accounted NOR part of the emission reduction commitment! Ecology & Farming, 4 – 2011, IFOAM Magazine

  5. Factual information: carbon content in soils Croplands • Store 17 % of the global stock of carbon in terrestrial ecosystems (WRI, 2011); net source of emissions • Management practices affect carbon stocks (esp. residue-, tillage-, fertilizer-, irrigation management, choice of crops and crop rotation) Grasslands • Store 34 % of global stock of carbon, predominantly in soil (WRI, 2011) • Land Use Change (e.g. conversion to cropland, urbanization) turns them into major source of CO2 emissions • Carbon stock can be increased through sustainable grassland management (grazing, species, water/ fertilizer/ organic matter inputs, restoration)

  6. Factual information: carbon content in soils Peatlands • Cover 3% of land area, but: • Store 30% of all global soil carbon • Total of 550 Gt CO2 (Parish et al., 2007) • Annual emission factors for cultivated organic soils: 5 t CO2/ha,y in cool temperate; 10 t CO2/ha,y in warm temperate and 20 t CO2/ha,y in tropics (IPCC, 2006) • Valuable carbon sink, but also major source of emissions when degraded CO2 emissions used from drained peat soils (in t CO2/ha,yr) Source: Joosten (2010), Couwenberg (2009)

  7. Mitigation potential through Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry in the EU’s climate policy Sinks (-) Emission (+) • Protect the existing sink • Counter existing trends • Increase the mitigation potential of the sector Partly “natural”, but impact of policy drivers visible Overall decline in sink by 13% btw 2005 and 2020 Notation key: + Cropland management, ▲ Deforestation, – Grazing land management, ♦ Afforestation, and ■ Forest management. Unconnected symbols indicate reported data and connected symbols indicate model projections.

  8. Instruments in the Commission proposal for CAP post-2013 to protect/enhance soil carbon content: Cross compliance theme “Soil and Carbon Stock”:3 standards for good and agricultural and environmental conditions (GAEC): Minimum soil cover Maintenance of soil organic matter level including ban on burning arable stubble Protection of wetland and carbon rich soils including a ban on first ploughing Pillar I – Greening component - Payments for agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and the environment: Crop diversification, permanent grassland, ecological focus areas Pillar II: Good options to address “hotspots” on soil management Multiple possibilities building on experience from Health Check Agri-environment-climate measure, forest-environment and climate services

  9. Concluding comments Soil carbon plays an important role in overall green house gas emissions CO2 emissions from soil (Land and Land Use Change) currently not included in EU climate policy yet Assessment report on how Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry can be included in EU climate policy in 2012 Future CAP will provide significant options to better protect soil carbon and thereby make cost-effective contributions to climate change protection Improving soil carbon is a „win-win“option: Good for the climate and good for the farmer!

  10. QUESTIONS & DISCUSSIONInformation about EU’s climate policy:http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/clima/mission/index_en.htm Thank you for your attention!

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