Soil carbon sequestration by agriculture: policy options

Net soil carbon sequestration on agricultural lands could offset 4% of annual global human-induced GHG emissions over the rest of the century and make an important contribution to meeting the targets of the Paris Agreement. To harness this potential of the agricultural sector to positively contribute to the sustainability agenda, a package of policies is needed to enhance global soil carbon stocks. Such a package would include regulations to prevent the loss of soil carbon, knowledge transfer policies to promote “win-win” solutions, and additional incentives delivered via market-based policies. The latter will need to be supported by innovative contracting solutions to address concerns about the non-permanence of carbon stocks and to reduce transaction costs.