Carbon farming promises to mitigate climate change whilst generating income for farmers – but can this promise be realised, and what are the risks? The European Parliament’s Environment and Agricultural Committees held a joint hearing to understand how EU policy can support on-farm carbon sequestration. The hearing featured two panels, including a presentation from Ecologic Institute Fellow Hugh McDonald on the challenges of carbon farming certification.

In this brief, researchers from Ecologic Institute and Öko-Institut critically assess the Commission's 2022 proposal for Framework for Carbon Removals Certification as it applies to climate-friendly soil management. In particular, they evaluate whether Framework's so-called QU.A.L.ITY criteria (Quantification, Additionality, Long-term storage, Sustainability) are sufficient to ensure high quality soil carbon removals. The brief summarises the specific challenge posed by soil carbon sequestration, identifies problems with the current proposal, and makes recommendations for improvements. The brief is available for download.

This infographic illustrates the total global mitigation potential of different types of Nature-based Solutions, shown by ecosystem. The scale of the total potential varies significantly for different ecosystems, i.a. because the total global area of the ecosystems is different.

Gattinger, Andreas et al. 2022: Reducing soil compaction. Factsheet. German Environment Agency: Dessau-Roßlau.

Scheid, Aaron et al. 2022: Prevention of land take. Factsheet. German Environment Agency: Dessau-Roßlau.

Gattinger, Andreas et al. 2022: Precision Farming (site-specific management). Factsheet. German Environment Agency: Dessau-Roßlau.

Frelih-Larsen, Ana et al. 2022: Nitrification inhibitors: biological and synthetic. Factsheet. German Environment Agency: Dessau-Roßlau.

Gattinger, Andreas et al. 2022: Mixed Crop-livestock Systems. Factsheet. German Environment Agency: Dessau-Roßlau.

Scheid, Aaron et al. 2022: Low input grasslands / set-aside areas. Factsheet. German Environment Agency: Dessau-Roßlau.

Frelih-Larsen, Ana et al. 2022: Improved Crop Rotation. Factsheet. German Environment Agency: Dessau-Roßlau.

Gattinger, Andreas et al. 2022: Critical External Inputs: off-farm compost, off-farm manure and biochar. Factsheet. German Environment Agency: Dessau-Roßlau.

Frelih-Larsen, Ana et al. 2022: Silvoarable agroforestry. Factsheet. German Environment Agency: Dessau-Roßlau.

Frelih-Larsen, Ana et al. 2022: Silvopastoral agroforestry. Factsheet. German Environment Agency: Dessau-Roßlau.

This report examines the mitigation potential of climate friendly soil management practices at global, EU and German level, along with key management measures, their co-benefits and trade-offs, and implementation challenges.