Enhancing NDC ambition through
soil organic carbon sequestration:
A science-policy dialog
A dialog on why and where ambition for soil organic carbon
should be enhanced and the issues countries face in
enhancing ambition

Program: Enhancing NDC ambition through soil organic carbon sequestration
Welcome and introduction Lini Wollenberg, CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change,
Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), University of Vermont
18:30
Presentations Facilitated by Abigaïl Fallot, Agricultural Research for
Development (CIRAD)
18:35
Co-benefits of soil organic
carbon
Cristina Arias-Navarro, National Institute for Agricultural
Research (INRA), France, H2020 CIRCASA Project
18:36
Soil organic carbon in
Nationally Determined
Contributions (NDCs)
Liesl Wiese, 4P1000 18:48
Panel discussion Facilitated by Lini Wollenberg, CCAFS, University of Vermont
Panelists:
Eleneide Doff Sotta, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and
Food Supply, Brazil
Fahmuddin Agus, Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Research
and Development, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change
Valerie Dermaux, Ministry of Agriculture and Food, France
19:00
Discussion with audience Facilitated by Lini Wollenberg, CCAFS and UVM 19:30
Closing Claire Weill, National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA),
France
19:55

Key messages from presentations, panelists
and discussion
General
1. Current gap between ambition and potential soil organic carbon
sequestration. Some countries have opportunities to advance SOC, and these
ambitions should be explicitly mentioned in the NDC. To the extent possible,
countries should set targets.
2. There are both constraints and opportunities for closing the gap.
Opportunities include identifying SOC commitments explicitly to garner
finance, technology and implementation support.
3. This analysis and country experiences point to specific steps that need to
happen now to help drive a COP decision.

Key messages from presentations, panelists
and discussion
Data
• Only 10 countries have NDC mitigation or adaptation targets related to SOC
sequestration (Armenia, Burkina Faso, Canada, China, Japan, Malawi,
Namibia, State of Palestine, Uruguay, Zambia).
• Of the top 10 total GHG emitters, only 3 countries (Canada, China, Japan)
have NDC targets related to SOC sequestration.
• Of the top 10 countries with the highest potential to sequester SOC
(Megatons C per year) in croplands, only 2 countries (Canada, China) have
NDC targets related to SOC sequestration.
• Of the top 10 countries with the largest area of high SOC soils (i.e.
peatlands, Andosols), only 1 country (Canada) has NDC targets related to
SOC sequestration.

Key messages from presentations, panelists
and discussion
Cristina Arias Navarro
• Mitigation Options from land sector could come with considerable impacts on food security ,on clean
water and sanitation, as well as on life on land. Increased SOC have a large potential since it could be
deployed with mostly co-benefits.
• Non-annex I countries face major challenges with either non-existent data or a lack of relevant data
for estimating the changes in mineral soil carbon stock for the “Cropland remaining Cropland”
category in their national inventories.
• Soil C stocks are influenced by multiple factors that affect primary production and decomposition,
including changes in land use and management and feedbacks between management activities,
climate, and soils. However, only a few countries have taken into account in their inventories for
emissions associated with agricultural management activities on mineral soil.
• Improving inventories requires enhanced national capability to gather relevant activity data to
develop country-specific emission factors
• INRA study shows that new cultivation practices to stock more carbon in soils in France would enable
maximum additional storage equivalent to 41% of French agricultural emissions, or 7% of emissions in
France
• There seems to be a consensus among stakeholders that economic constraints (financial incentives
and/or risks) are the most important barrier for implementation of SOC sequestration.
• Agreeing on international research priorities may be difficult across contrasted countries and will
require accounting for national circumstances. The development of an international knowledge
information system will help in increasing international cooperation and prepare research alignment.

Key messages from presentations, panelists
and discussion
Liesl Wiese
• NDCs provide an important platform and opportunity for countries to specify soil
carbon protection and sequestration related mitigation and adaptation targets in
view of current or future national policy alignment, access to technical support and
access to climate finance.
• Countries have different perspectives on whether or not to specify SOC protection
or sequestration targets in NDCs.
• At national level, soil carbon is often considered based firstly on different national
priorities (such as proportion of agricultural emissions to total GHG emissions,
importance of food security, economic importance of agriculture, soil health, etc.)
and secondly on the importance and role of soil carbon within those priorities.
• Accurate measurement and monitoring of changes in soil carbon, or inferring such
changes based on management practices, remains a challenge. This hampers soil
carbon target setting and identification of relevant measures/practices in NDCs.
• Mitigation measures currently specified for soil carbon protection and
sequestration in NDCs include the protection of peatlands and wetlands, climate-
smart agriculture, agroforestry, and no-tillage.

Key messages from presentations, panelists
and discussion
Fahmuddin Agus (Indonesia)
• Indonesia has not included mineral soil organic carbon (SOC) in the NDC, but management of soil organic
carbon using manure, compost, cover crop, and crop residues is common.
• In some areas, such as vegetable production areas, the use of manure is very high, ranging from 10 to 30
t/ha. Farmers look at this practice from the production point of view. They may not be aware that such
practice, unless manure application is excessive, also improves soil carbon, soil health, soil fertility, as well
as resilience to adverse effects of climate change.
• Inventory of soil carbon stock, however, is very challenging due to high variations in farm size, farmers
practice, soil properties, and hence in carbon stock (carbon content and soil bulk density). The spatial
variation of carbon stock could be much higher than the changes due to improved management.
• For peatland, SOC is included in the NDC. The main mitigation measures include avoided deforestation, and
increasing water table on the already drained lands.
• Inventory for emissions from avoided deforestation is conducted by using the 2013 Refinement of 2006
IPCC Guidelines on Wetland.
• High water table is related to reduced emission, but the way we communicate to farmers and land holders
is that the high water table is associated with slower subsidence, lower risks to fire, and hence, longer
lifetime of peat use. Activity data collection for water table effect is also a challenge, but this is a potential
addition in the near future inventory improvement.
• Discussion on paludiculture (managing peatland under non-drained condition) has intensified. We are
convinced that when the paludiculture system can guarantee competitive economic value and better
livelihoods, it will be a promising alternative in the future.

Key messages from presentations, panelists
and discussion
Eleneide Soffa (Brazil)
• SOC sequestration is not a silver bullet to enhance ambition in country’s
NDCs. It is important to have in mind that SOC is very sensitive to changes in
climate and therefore a very vulnerable element to rely on when
considering climate mitigation.
• Implementation of agricultural practices and technologies based on
sound science tailored to national circumstances are more likely to deliver
long-term transformation in agriculture.

CONCLUSION
Claire Weill (INRA, France)
 Support for a quantified and practical soil organic carbon target for
transparency in the NDC
Uncertainty should not impede action, we can learn by doing
(research).
 The good news is that we have co-benefits of carbon sequestration
(adaptation, water, mitigation, biodiversity), which provides an entry point
for action and opportunity for integrated approach to
policy/programs/policy coherence
 Policy coherence and stability are necessary for long-term carbon
sequestration
 Work with stakeholders to identify implementation strategies, relevant to
country-specific conditions, taking into account existing national policies,
programs and practices
THANK YOU!

THANK YOU.