Objective A1 - NDC
Label Title Description NDCs Ensure Soil Health (SH) and Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) are vital components of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) All UNFCCC parties include SH and SOC in their NDCs and consider both in their national agriculture, forestry, and land use plans and programs. Targets A1 - NDC
Baseline 2020 Target 2030 Target 2050 In 2019, out of 196 countries' NDCs, only 28 specified SOC, peatland, or wetland targets, policies, or measures. All countries that are members and partners of the "4 per 1000" Initiative include quantitative targets for SH and SOC in their NDCs and related documents and reference them in their national plans and programs for agriculture, forestry, and land use. All UNFCCC Parties include quantitative targets for SH and SOC in their NDCs and related documents and reference them in their national plans and programs for agriculture, forestry, and land use.
Context A1 - NDC
Problem A1 - NDC
| Problem Statement | Description | Consequences |
|---|---|---|
| Most current NDCs do not address SH and SOC, although they are crucial for climate change mitigation and adaptation. | In 2019, only 28 countries had NDCs that specified SOC targets, policies, or measures. There was no alignment with IPCCC accounting standards, including SOC as one of the carbon pools reported in countries' GHG inventories. | Governments do not sufficiently recognize the relevance of SH and SOC for the climate and therefore do not consider them in national development programs. The lack of a shared understanding negatively impacts the country's ambition. Lack of clear understanding hinders the mobilization of climate finance, technical assistance, and capacity development. |
Causes A1 - NDC
| N° | Cause | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lack of awareness | Policymakers overlook the potential of SOC and SH to contribute to solving the climate crisis when setting NDC targets. |
| 2 | Lack of guidelines | There are no strict and specific guidelines on how countries should develop their NDCs. The inclusion of SOC or SH is voluntary. |
| 3 | Science Denial | Despite the overwhelming scientific consensus that immediate massive climate action is needed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, policymakers often fail to recognize the gravity of the situation and instead prioritize actions that lead to immediate economic and political gains. |
| 4 | SH and SOC are not a priority | In their sustainable development goals, countries do not prioritize SH, soil carbon, and immediate climate change mitigation actions in agriculture, forestry, and land use. |
| 5 | Insufficient monitoring | Monitoring systems for SH and SOC are not in place. Developing countries do not have sufficient resources to improve the measurement of SOC and assess the potential of soil carbon sequestration measures. |
| 6 | Insufficient public support | Civil society's pressure on policymakers to require the inclusion of SH and SOC in NDCs is insufficient. |
| 7 | Weak emulation among UNFCCC Parties. | Insufficient information dissemination by the UNFCCC, e.g., through a global dashboard, to know what other parties are doing in this particular area. |
| 8 | Insufficient science-policy dialogue | Insufficient systematic monitoring of soils to understand how soil C content evolves after a change in management leads to a lack of understanding between research institutions and policy sectors. |
Implementation Strategy A1 - NDC
Activities A1 - NDC
| N° | Activity | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Advocate for SH and SOC at UNFCCC | Build a unified voice of the "4 per 1000" member countries at UNFCCC (including the institutions that manage GHG inventories) to increase the visibility and recognition of SH and SOC. |
| 2 | Analyze gaps and opportunities | Help countries identify their knowledge and capacity gaps in monitoring SH and SOC and determine the potential for restoring SH and increasing carbon sequestration. Gain more local information on the impacts of different land-use practices on soil carbon sequestration and how to improve national carbon balances. |
| 3 | Support NDC development | Support countries in developing SH and SOC monitoring activities in their NDCs and national policies, involving all relevant stakeholders (farmers, private sector, civil society). Promote the ability to quantify agricultural SOC stocks, monitor them, and effectively communicate the findings to policymakers. |
| 4 | Strengthen national SH & SOC dialogue | Promote SH & SOC at the country level through high-level meetings organized by scientists, NGOs, and farmers. |
Critical Success Factors (CSFs) A1 - NDC
| N° | Critical Success Factor | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GAFOLUP considered in NDCs | Include information on sound land management practices in agriculture, forestry, and land use management in NDCs and national adaptation plans to protect and enhance SH and SOC. If agriculture is not a country's primary industry, explain how to better manage SH and SOC in urban or natural environments, including abandoned areas. |
| 2 | High awareness | There must be sufficiently general awareness to encourage policymakers to consider SH and SOC in NDCs. |
| 3 | National registries | National registries must have adequate and robust data, institutional arrangements, and sufficient human and financial resources to track progress to implementing NDCs and include SOC measures as a priority in their NDCs and national adaptation plans. |
| 4 | The soil in UNFCCC regulations | UNFCCC regulations must clarify that soils play a significant and critical role in countries' carbon footprints. National climate change policies and plans must explicitly address soils. |
| 5 | SH & SOC scientific competence | A country's science base must be strong enough to monitor SH and SOC in implementing NDCs and convince policymakers to act consistently in favor of SH and SOC. |
Barriers A1 - NDC
| N° | Barriers | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Insufficient data | There is a lack of sufficient science-based data, technical equipment, and expertise to quantify SH and soil organic carbon to establish the national greenhouse gas inventory for agriculture. |
| 2 | The effect of land use on SOC is unclear | The link between SOC and land management should be identified and communicated for each country. The UNFCCC process and national policy positions should understand that the causal link between SOC and land management is key to providing data on their C stocks and balance. |
| 3 | Costs | Financial resources are not available to establish, improve, and maintain SH and SOC inventories. |
| 4 | Insufficient science-policy dialogue | Inconsistent institutional arrangements impede the dissemination of scientific knowledge to decision-makers in the multiple sectors responsible for developing and implementing mitigation strategies. |
| 5 | SOC is considered for adaptation only | In the NDCs, SOC practices are seen primarily as a means of climate adaptation rather than climate mitigation. The UNFCCC process and national policy positions also constrain some countries to adopt policy stances that may impede direct SOC action. |
