Liesl Wiese-Rozanova
CCAFS Webinar, 22 April 2020
Soil carbon in the Nationally
Determined Contributions
(NDCs): Analysis results

Mineral soils Organic Soils Mineral + Organic Soils
Top 10 countries with potential to sequester or
protect SOC
(Zomer et al., 2017) (Crump, 2017)

Top 10 countries with potential to sequester or
protect SOC
NDCs:
SOC
Peatlands
Wetlands
(Keyword search)
Mineral soils Organic Soils Mineral + Organic Soils
(Zomer et al., 2017) (Crump, 2017)

27 NDCs refer to: SOC (13)
Peatlands (6)
Wetlands (14)
Analysis of NDCs (Agriculture / AFOLU /
LULUCF)

1. SOC part of unquantified target
Armenia, China, Zambia, Pakistan, Palestine
2. SOC part of quantified target
Canada, Japan, Namibia, Malawi, Uruguay
SOC in the NDCs (Agriculture / AFOLU /
LULUCF)
3. SOC sequestration as quantified mitigation co-benefit from adaptation
Burkina Faso
4. Mention of SOC without clear links to mitigation targets
Syria, Bolivia
5. National policies/ plans
Canada, Pakistan, Uruguay
Key:
Unconditional target
Conditional target
Unconditional and conditional target
Some countries
have SOC related
policies not
reflected in NDCs
Brazil, EU, USA
Expert interviews: Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, China, EU, Indonesia, Japan, USA

1. SOC part of unquantified target
Burundi
2. SOC part of quantified target
Belarus, Indonesia, Uruguay
Peatlands in the NDCs (Agriculture / AFOLU /
LULUCF)
3. Mention of peatland without clear links to mitigation targets
Malaysia
4. National policies/ plans
Burundi, Indonesia, Uruguay
Key:
Unconditional target
Conditional target
Unconditional and conditional target
Contribution of peatlands to mitigation targets specified or interpreted to
relate to SOC
except Afghanistan which specifies reduction in N2O emissions

1. Wetland protection/ restoration/ increased carbon storage as
unquantified target
China, Iceland, Indonesia, Suriname, Vietnam
2. Wetland protection/ restoration/ increased carbon storage as
quantified target
Canada, Uganda, Uruguay
Wetlands in the NDCs (Agriculture / AFOLU /
LULUCF)
3. Unspecified mitigation co-benefits from adaptation
United Arab Emirates
4. Wetland conservation/ restoration under adaptation
Burundi, Indonesia, Uruguay
5. National policies/ plans
Belize, Canada, Nicaragua, Pakistan,
Uganda

Specification of measures/ practices NDCs
Measure/s Countries
Agroforestry/Silvo-pastoralism* Malawi, Palestine
Conservation agriculture Zambia
Grassland/ Pasture land management China, Japan, Uruguay
Organic amendments (manure, compost, biochar) Malawi
Reduced/stopped (crop residue) burning
Erosion control
Integrated soil fertility management
Reduced or no-tillage Uruguay
Residue retention (mulching) Malawi, Uruguay
Cover crops Uruguay
Fallow
SOC specified in NDC
Mitigation Adaptation
31 36
21 13
14 16
12 10
12 6
9 41
6 13
5 6
3 3
2 1
1 1
*Measures specified
in relation to SOC

Challenges associated with SOC in NDCs
SOC target setting
• Accuracy, affordability and data availability for measurement, reporting and
verification (MRV) of SOC
• Monitoring changes in SOC over time and link to management practices
• Identifying and tracking relevant measures at national level
• Ensuring GHG inventories can accommodate data and indicators
National priorities
• Objective of SOC protection or sequestration is secondary to that
of enhancing agricultural production for food security
Link to land users
• Considering relevant practices with attractive economic benefits for
farmers
• Provision of incentives (i.e. subsidies) does not guarantee adoption

• Quantifying the contribution of long-term
national actions to SOC
• Quantifying mitigation co-benefits of
adaptation actions
• Provide sectoral or sub-sectoral targets
in addition to economy-wide targets
Increase NDC ambition by: Increase transparency for global SOC
accounting
How can countries include SOC in future NDCs?
More ambition and tougher targets needed to achieve 1.5 - 2°C
Paris Agreement targets
Examples to include SOC in second 5-year NDC cycle:
Leverage support for national policies,
technical capacity, climate finance
• Specifying SOC in relation to SOC-supporting measures already
included in NDCs
• Setting conditional SOC mitigation targets for developing countries
NDCs as
indicator of
policy action
on soil health
and climate

11
Thank you for your attention.
This work was:
• Funded by Vanguard Charitable, with assistance from Betsy Taylor,
Breakthrough Strategies and Solutions
• Implemented as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change,
Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), funded by CGIAR Trust Fund and
bilateral funding
• Supported by the German Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture (BLE) and
the 4 per 1000 Soil Initiative.
Link: InfoNote: Enhancing Nationally Determined Contribution
(NDC) ambition for soil organic carbon protection and
sequestration