Soils Research to deliver Greenhouse Gas REmovals and Abatement Technologies (Soils-R-GGREAT)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Aberdeen
Department Name: Inst of Biological and Environmental Sci
Abstract
GGR Consortium - Soils Research to deliver Greenhouse Gas REmovals and Abatement Technologies (Soils-R-GGREAT). Scenario modelling studies show that it is unlikely that we will be able to meet the target to limit climate warming to "well below 2 degrees C" outlined in the Paris Agreement without removing a significant quantity of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. It appears to be virtually impossible to meet the aspirational target of 1.5 degrees C of warming without greenhouse gas removal (GGR) from the atmosphere. Given the importance of GGR for climate stabilization, the global potential, feasibility, barriers and impacts of GGR technologies need to be assessed. Preliminary analysis suggests that widespread implementation of GGRs could have significant impacts on land competition, greenhouse gas emissions, physical climate feedbacks (e.g. albedo), water requirements, nutrient use, energy and cost, but that soil carbon sequestration and biochar used as GGR practices have significant potential for GGR (4-6 thousand million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, together), and can do so with much less competition for land, water and nutrients than, for example bioenergy with carbon capture and storage and afforestation, and at much lower cost than enhanced mineral weathering and direct air capture of carbon dioxide. In addition, soil-based GGRs could help deliver other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly 1, 2, 13 and 15 (poverty, hunger, climate and life on land). Yet constraints due to high uncertainties about the GGR achievable, the need for site-specific options and incentives, social and ecological impacts, and the risk of impermanence have limited soil-based GGR to date. In this project, we will focus on soil carbon sequestration through improved land management, and the addition of biochar to soils to increase soil carbon storage. We will work closely with other consortia to ensure consistency across assumptions about land and resource availability. In the Soils-R-GGREAT project we have harnessed the best expertise in the UK on soils and biochar to provide a comprehensive global assessment of soil-based GGRs.
We will use a combination of life cycle assessment (LCA), scenario database analysis, network data analysis, meta-analysis, biophysical modelling, economic modelling, stakeholder engagement and expert consultation to deliver the most rigorous and comprehensive global assessment of potential, feasibility, barriers and impacts of soil-based GGRs. The achievements / outputs from the project will be an assessment of the technical and cost-effective potential for soil-based GGRs globally and regionally, identification of technical options, an assessment of the socio-cultural-ecological impacts of soil-based GGRs and their ability to co-deliver to SDGs 1,2,13,15, an analysis of the current policy barriers preventing implementation and options for future policies to enable widespread adoption of soil-based GGRs, and an assessment of how soil-based GGRs can be integrated into portfolios of other GGR technologies, and other greenhouse gas emission reduction efforts. Interim results will be published by the end of 2017 to feed into the IPCC Special Reports on the "1.5 degree C target", and "land use and climate change".
We will use a combination of life cycle assessment (LCA), scenario database analysis, network data analysis, meta-analysis, biophysical modelling, economic modelling, stakeholder engagement and expert consultation to deliver the most rigorous and comprehensive global assessment of potential, feasibility, barriers and impacts of soil-based GGRs. The achievements / outputs from the project will be an assessment of the technical and cost-effective potential for soil-based GGRs globally and regionally, identification of technical options, an assessment of the socio-cultural-ecological impacts of soil-based GGRs and their ability to co-deliver to SDGs 1,2,13,15, an analysis of the current policy barriers preventing implementation and options for future policies to enable widespread adoption of soil-based GGRs, and an assessment of how soil-based GGRs can be integrated into portfolios of other GGR technologies, and other greenhouse gas emission reduction efforts. Interim results will be published by the end of 2017 to feed into the IPCC Special Reports on the "1.5 degree C target", and "land use and climate change".
Planned Impact
At UK level, the Soils-R-GRREAT project will provide evidence on national and global potential of soil based GGRs to support national climate change policy at the UK, and devolved administration levels. Project outputs will provide evidence to the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) BEIS and the UK Committee on Climate Change (CCC). The team is already working with the CCC to define the potential for land-based GGRs, and feeds into the work of BEIS. Since the CCC provides statutory advice on national carbon budgets and future UK reporting requirements (through Nationally Determined Contributions; NDCs) of the Paris Agreement of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In addition to BEIS and CCC, we have made contact with other relevant UK stakeholders, particularly those concerned with soil policy in the Soils Team in Defra, the Welsh Government and Scottish Government.
At international level, the work will contribute to, and use output from, three significant global initiatives aimed at assessing and implementing GGR through soils: 1) the International Soil Carbon Network (ISCN) which is collating global data (site level and soil survey) to assess changes in soil C, for which PS is on the International Advisory Board, 2) The Global Research Alliance on agricultural greenhouse gases, which has a theme on global soil carbon sequestration (PS leads the farm level theme), and 3) the International "4 per 1000" initiative, an outcome of the Paris Climate Agreement in December 2015, for which PS and L Wollenberg are on the Scientific and Technical Committee. The work also aligns with work being undertaken on the Global Carbon Project under the Managing Global Negative Emissions (MagNET).
This project will also contribute significantly to The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in the context of its 6th Assessment Report. PS has applied for the convening lead author role on land use mitigation for AR6 (2021), a role he had for AR4 and AR5. We intend to publish preliminary outputs after 9 months so that they can be cited and used in the two Special Reports on "land use and climate change" (for which PS is on the Science Steering Committee), and the "1.5 degree target". A support letter from IPCC is provided. Where appropriate, outputs will also be made accessible to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Our stakeholder engagement process will enable national and international stakeholders to provide input at various stages in the project. Our project partner CCAFS represent the CGIAR system, and so will facilitate input globally from the CGIAR system, but also global outreach to this community. A budget of £10,000 is allocated to stakeholder consultation, which will cover travel and subsistence to allow project researchers to interview key respondents, and venue hire, and travel and subsistence for invitees at the dedicated expert stakeholder workshop to be held in project month 40. Invitees will include policy makers from BEIS, Defra, Scottish Government, Welsh Government, scientists from the CCC, representatives from IPCC WGIII, non BEIS/CCC members of the project advisory board and key international representatives from the FAO, ISCN, Global Research Alliance and the 4per1000 initiative.
Real world impact will be delivered through our networks of land managers including a) numerous national and international projects on soil management among consortium partners, b) partner networks across the globe via CCAFS / CGIAR, and c) practitioner networks through the Global Research Alliance, ISCN and the 4per1000 initiative. We will provide advice on and promote sustainable soil management practices that co-deliver to soil GGR, and contribute to the SDGs.
At international level, the work will contribute to, and use output from, three significant global initiatives aimed at assessing and implementing GGR through soils: 1) the International Soil Carbon Network (ISCN) which is collating global data (site level and soil survey) to assess changes in soil C, for which PS is on the International Advisory Board, 2) The Global Research Alliance on agricultural greenhouse gases, which has a theme on global soil carbon sequestration (PS leads the farm level theme), and 3) the International "4 per 1000" initiative, an outcome of the Paris Climate Agreement in December 2015, for which PS and L Wollenberg are on the Scientific and Technical Committee. The work also aligns with work being undertaken on the Global Carbon Project under the Managing Global Negative Emissions (MagNET).
This project will also contribute significantly to The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in the context of its 6th Assessment Report. PS has applied for the convening lead author role on land use mitigation for AR6 (2021), a role he had for AR4 and AR5. We intend to publish preliminary outputs after 9 months so that they can be cited and used in the two Special Reports on "land use and climate change" (for which PS is on the Science Steering Committee), and the "1.5 degree target". A support letter from IPCC is provided. Where appropriate, outputs will also be made accessible to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Our stakeholder engagement process will enable national and international stakeholders to provide input at various stages in the project. Our project partner CCAFS represent the CGIAR system, and so will facilitate input globally from the CGIAR system, but also global outreach to this community. A budget of £10,000 is allocated to stakeholder consultation, which will cover travel and subsistence to allow project researchers to interview key respondents, and venue hire, and travel and subsistence for invitees at the dedicated expert stakeholder workshop to be held in project month 40. Invitees will include policy makers from BEIS, Defra, Scottish Government, Welsh Government, scientists from the CCC, representatives from IPCC WGIII, non BEIS/CCC members of the project advisory board and key international representatives from the FAO, ISCN, Global Research Alliance and the 4per1000 initiative.
Real world impact will be delivered through our networks of land managers including a) numerous national and international projects on soil management among consortium partners, b) partner networks across the globe via CCAFS / CGIAR, and c) practitioner networks through the Global Research Alliance, ISCN and the 4per1000 initiative. We will provide advice on and promote sustainable soil management practices that co-deliver to soil GGR, and contribute to the SDGs.
Publications
Abdalla M
(2018)
Critical review of the impacts of grazing intensity on soil organic carbon storage and other soil quality indicators in extensively managed grasslands.
in Agriculture, ecosystems & environment
Vicente-Vicente J
(2017)
Carbon saturation and assessment of soil organic carbon fractions in Mediterranean rainfed olive orchards under plant cover management
in Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment
Lu T
(2020)
Dynamics of pedogenic carbonate in the cropland of the North China Plain: Influences of intensive cropping and salinization
in Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment
Smith P
(2019)
Land-Management Options for Greenhouse Gas Removal and Their Impacts on Ecosystem Services and the Sustainable Development Goals
in Annual Review of Environment and Resources
De Oliveira Garcia W
(2020)
Impacts of enhanced weathering on biomass production for negative emission technologies and soil hydrology
in Biogeosciences
Karstens K
(2022)
Management-induced changes in soil organic carbon on global croplands
in Biogeosciences
Field R
(2020)
The value of habitats of conservation importance to climate change mitigation in the UK
in Biological Conservation
Godde C
(2020)
Soil carbon sequestration in grazing systems: managing expectations
in Climatic Change
Novara A
(2019)
Long-term organic farming on a citrus plantation results in soil organic carbon recovery
in Cuadernos de Investigación Geográfica
Shang Z
(2020)
Measurement of N2O emissions over the whole year is necessary for estimating reliable emission factors.
in Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
Butnar I
(2020)
A deep dive into the modelling assumptions for biomass with carbon capture and storage (BECCS): a transparency exercise
in Environmental Research Letters
Minx J
(2018)
Negative emissions-Part 1: Research landscape and synthesis
in Environmental Research Letters
Fuss S
(2018)
Negative emissions-Part 2: Costs, potentials and side effects
in Environmental Research Letters
Nemet G
(2018)
Negative emissions-Part 3: Innovation and upscaling
in Environmental Research Letters
Jordon M
(2022)
Temperate Regenerative Agriculture practices increase soil carbon but not crop yield-a meta-analysis
in Environmental Research Letters
Harmsen J
(2019)
Long-term marginal abatement cost curves of non-CO2 greenhouse gases
in Environmental Science & Policy
Soussana JF
(2017)
Letter to the Editor: Answer to the Viewpoint "Sequestering Soil Organic Carbon: A Nitrogen Dilemma".
in Environmental science & technology
Dondini M
(2017)
Evaluation of the ECOSSE model to predict heterotrophic soil respiration by direct measurements
in European Journal of Soil Science
Evans D
(2021)
Sustainable futures over the next decade are rooted in soil science
in European Journal of Soil Science
Sándor R
(2020)
Ensemble modelling of carbon fluxes in grasslands and croplands
in Field Crops Research
Ražauskaite R
(2020)
A New Approach Using Modeling to Interpret Measured Changes in Soil Organic Carbon in Forests; The Case of a 200 Year Pine Chronosequence on a Podzolic Soil in Scotland
in Frontiers in Environmental Science
Waring B
(2020)
Forests and Decarbonization - Roles of Natural and Planted Forests
in Frontiers in Forests and Global Change
Albanito F
(2019)
Mitigation potential and environmental impact of centralized versus distributed BECCS with domestic biomass production in Great Britain
in GCB Bioenergy
Smith P
(2018)
Bioenergy in the IPCC Assessments
in GCB Bioenergy
Cai A
(2022)
Declines in soil carbon storage under no tillage can be alleviated in the long run
in Geoderma
Gao B
(2018)
Chinese cropping systems are a net source of greenhouse gases despite soil carbon sequestration.
in Global change biology
Smith P
(2020)
Which practices co-deliver food security, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and combat land degradation and desertification?
in Global change biology
Farina R
(2021)
Ensemble modelling, uncertainty and robust predictions of organic carbon in long-term bare-fallow soils.
in Global change biology
Williams M
(2023)
Avoiding emissions versus creating sinks-Effectiveness and attractiveness to climate finance
in Global Change Biology
Robertson GP
(2022)
Land-based climate solutions for the United States.
in Global change biology
Sun W
(2020)
Climate drives global soil carbon sequestration and crop yield changes under conservation agriculture
in Global Change Biology
Thackeray S
(2020)
Civil disobedience movements such as School Strike for the Climate are raising public awareness of the climate change emergency
in Global Change Biology
Shang Z
(2021)
Can cropland management practices lower net greenhouse emissions without compromising yield?
in Global change biology
Sykes A
(2019)
Characterising the biophysical, economic and social impacts of soil carbon sequestration as a greenhouse gas removal technology
in Global Change Biology
Schipper L
(2018)
Deforestation may increase soil carbon but it is unlikely to be continuous or unlimited.
in Global change biology
Qin Z
(2021)
Delayed impact of natural climate solutions.
in Global change biology
Porter JR
(2019)
Invited review: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, agriculture, and food-A case of shifting cultivation and history.
in Global change biology
Ledo A
(2020)
Changes in soil organic carbon under perennial crops.
in Global change biology
McElwee P
(2020)
The impact of interventions in the global land and agri-food sectors on Nature's Contributions to People and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
in Global change biology
Seddon N
(2021)
Getting the message right on nature-based solutions to climate change.
in Global change biology
Smith P
(2022)
How do we best synergize climate mitigation actions to co-benefit biodiversity?
in Global change biology
Smith P
(2020)
How to measure, report and verify soil carbon change to realize the potential of soil carbon sequestration for atmospheric greenhouse gas removal.
in Global change biology
Whitaker J
(2018)
Consensus, uncertainties and challenges for perennial bioenergy crops and land use.
in Global change biology. Bioenergy
Fitton N
(2019)
The vulnerabilities of agricultural land and food production to future water scarcity
in Global Environmental Change
Alcalde J
(2018)
The potential for implementation of Negative Emission Technologies in Scotland
in International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control
Studentship Projects
Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
NE/P019455/1 | 20/06/2017 | 19/06/2021 | |||
2358656 | Studentship | NE/P019455/1 | 01/11/2017 | 28/02/2021 | Jack Walton |
Title | The Same Hillside |
Description | THE SAME HILLSIDE In a small patch of hill country Southern Scotland, three mighty rivers rise - The Annan, Tweed and Clyde - eventually finding their way to Solway's sands, the North Sea and the Firth of Clyde on coastlines many miles apart. Using multi-screen documentary video, field audio recordings and extensive interviews with people whose lives, livelihoods and leisure link them to the study area, The Same Hillside transports audiences to this remote but highly productive place to explore the impacts daily human choices are having upon Scotland's resource heartland. |
Type Of Art | Artwork |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Impact | Feedback and reviews, e.g. "A peaceful yet discomforting rumination on people and landscape, it flows with passion and wisdom." - THE SCOTSMAN ? ? ? ? AUDIENCE COMMENTS "Very interesting - beautifully filmed." "Excellent, heart-warming, satisfying, distressing." "Familiar, thought-provoking, beautiful." "Educative and really sensitive approach." "Nostalgic, emotional, inspired." "Moved and intrigued by facts I didn't know before." "Connected, engaged and empowered." PRESS COVERAGE AND REVIEWS "A peaceful yet discomforting rumination on people and landscape, it flows with passion and wisdom." MALCOM JACK, THE SCOTSMAN more info. "They speak to the Anthropocene, that humans are affecting everything, without ever mentioning the term." CHRIS FREMANTLE, ECOART SCOTLAND more info. "But scratch beneath the surface and you will find a lot more going on." BBC ONLINE |
URL | https://thesamehillside.org/ |
Description | Achievements and outputs from the project will be an assessment of the technical and cost-effective potential for soil-based Greenhouse Gas Removal technologies (GGRs) globally and regionally, identification of technical options, an assessment of the socio-cultural-ecological impacts of soil-based GGRs and their ability to co-deliver to SDGs 1,2,13,15, an analysis of the current policy barriers preventing implementation and options for future policies to enable widespread adoption of soil-based GGRs, and an assessment of how soil-based GGRs can be integrated into portfolios of other GGR technologies, and other greenhouse gas emission reduction efforts. Interim results have been published to feed into the IPCC Special Reports on the "1.5°C target", and "land use and climate change". We have published 99 peer-reviewed, journal papers to date from this project |
Exploitation Route | Modelling, LCA and economic analyses could be used by others looking at soil carbon sequestration as a greenhouse gas removal option |
Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Environment |
URL | http://gotw.nerc.ac.uk/list_full.asp?pcode=NE%2FP019455%2F1&cookieConsent=A |
Description | Project outputs already contributing to the International "4p1000" initiative to increase soil carbon stocks to address climate change and food security |
First Year Of Impact | 2018 |
Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Environment |
Impact Types | Societal |
Description | Greenhouse gas removal with UK agriculture via enhanced rock weathering |
Amount | £4,635,236 (GBP) |
Funding ID | BB/V011359/1 |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 05/2021 |
End | 11/2025 |
Title | Globally available land for soil-based greenhouse gas removal practices for 2000-2014 |
Description | Global spatial data on yields of wheat, sugarcane and maize at 0.25 and 0.5 degrees resolution for 2000-2014. Annual data on wheat, sugarcane and maize yield have been extracted from agricultural statistics, which are recorded annually at regional and national scale depending on the country. The yield data were spatially disaggregated to produce gridded maps (0.25 and 0.5 degrees spatial resolution) of yields per crop type. The earthstat dataset, which provides gridded data on crop distribution (i.e. a crop mask for 2000q), was used to obtain information on the spatial distribution of wheat, sugarcane and maize across the world. The spatial disaggregation process was repeated for every year between 2000 and 2014. The data were produced to constrain agro-ecosystem carbon cycling estimates used in large-scale atmospheric CO2 inversion studies and to be used as inputs in agro-ecosystem biogeochemistry models. The data are provided in netcdf4 (.nc) format. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2023 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://catalogue.ceh.ac.uk/id/3fa5921b-244a-4944-ab90-e690dbc05a7e |
Title | Shortlist of soil-based greenhouse gas removal practices selected following consideration of biophysical, economic and social impacts |
Description | The provided data presents a list of greenhouse gas removal practices for soil organic carbon sequestration, which are suitable under biophysical, economic and social consideration. The list is the result of the first step in analysing the potential of agricultural soils to sequester carbon globally and is part of the NERC funded project Soils-R-GGREAT (NE/P019455/1). The work is based on literature research and expert panel and judgements. The work was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council (NE/P019455/1) |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://catalogue.ceh.ac.uk/id/e0acc105-e13e-4c1f-b275-f7518b823aad |
Description | University of Sheffield GGR demonstrator |
Organisation | University of Sheffield |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Established new partnership to contribute to a GGR demonstrator project proposal (on enhanced rock weathering) which was funded by UKRI |
Collaborator Contribution | Expertise on enhanced rock weathering to Soils-R-GGREAT project |
Impact | Project has only just started |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | The Same Hillside |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Video art installation examining the role of soils in Scotland from a social, artistic and environmental perspective |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020,2021 |
URL | https://thesamehillside.org/ |