Monitoring, Reporting and Verification of Soil Organic Carbon and Greenhouse Gas Balance

Project Information

MRV4SOC

Grant agreement ID: 101112754

DOI

10.3030/101112754

EC signature date 25 May 2023

Start date 1 June 2023

End date 30 November 2026

Funded under

• Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

Total cost

€ 6 999 964,10

EU contribution

€ 6 999 964,10

Coordinated by

GMV AEROSPACE AND DEFENCE SA
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MRV4SOC (Monitoring, Reporting and Verification of Soil Organic Carbon and Greenhouse Gas Balance)

Reporting period: 2023-06-01 to 2024-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a crucial role in regulating ecosystem services, particularly in terms of managing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to mitigate climate change. In this context, the activities carried out in the EU-funded MRV4SOC project are mainly focused on assessing GHG emissions, estimating full carbon (C) budgets, measuring the accumulation of SOC, and evaluating the outcomes of conventional management practices and C farming. The project’s primary objective is to monitor the changes in SOC accumulation within the context of both climate change and socio-economic pressures. Additionally, the consortium seeks to standardise Tier 3 monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) schemes for the EU land sector. Ultimately, we aim to establish a methodological MRV framework that increases the faith of stakeholders in voluntary carbon markets.

In particular, MRV4SOC aims at designing a comprehensive, robust, and cost-effective Tier 3 approach accounting for changes in as many C pools as possible and their interaction with Nitrogen (N) cycles through process-based models. The specific challenges that are addressed in MRV4SOC are: i) monitoring changes in SOC accumulation due to climate change and socio-economic pressures; ii) accounting for C and N cycles in full C budgets; iii) the development of a scientifically-sound and transparent Tier 3 methodology using process-based models at different scales aligned with national GHG reporting; iv) assimilation of high-quality in-situ and Remote Sensing (RS) data; v) standardisation of Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification schemes to ensure transparency, robustness, and cost-effectiveness; vi) a lack of trust in Voluntary Carbon Markets.
To overcome these challenges, a comprehensive 3-year work plan has been proposed ranging from the assessment of C pools in 9 land use/ land cover classes located in 15 Demonstration Sites (DS) that cover a wide variety of pedoclimatic and sub-landscape conditions in arid, temperate, and continental climates; to the potential integration of the approach at landscape scales.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The activities carried out in Work Package, WP 1 "Project Management and Coordination" aim at ensuring the implementation of cross-cutting activities, facilitating the control of the project, fostering quality and ethical standards, controlling the development of the project at a managerial and technical level; promoting guidelines for Demonstration Sites; and reporting research ethics, gender, legal, and societal aspects report.

The objective of WP2 “Data Harmonisation/Standardisation and Conceptualisation” is focused on identifying key in-situ and remote sensing data sources for the successful development of the concept of the project. Several remote sensing indicators have been developed for further assimilation into process-based models at different scales in Demonstration Sites.

The tasks developed in WP3 Analysis and Preparation of Remote Sensing Data Inputs for Modelling Approaches have aimed at providing guidance related to the methodological approach of the project, reporting the current state-of-the-art regarding current greenhouse gas modelling efforts for adopting Carbon farming, developing new modules in land surface models, and accounting for uncertainties.
The work carried out in WP4 Carbon Farming Credits towards Sustainable Carbon Markets and Socio-Economic Impact Assessment has allowed us to identify Carbon farming barriers and enablers through the organisation of five workshops. Besides, a cost analysis of implementing Carbon farming and MRV tools has been carried out.

The activities accomplished in WP5 Integration towards a European Union MRV2.0 Methodological Framework are related to the participation of the consortium in different policy events and the analysis of the policy framework in the European Union and several Member States (Spain, France, Italy, Greece, and Belgium), as well as other regions in the world such as Australia.

The WP6 “Communication, Dissemination, Exploitation & Methodological Support to Demonstration Sites” aggregates all the dissemination activities carried out in the project as well as synergies with other projects, especially, with MaRViC, CREDIBLE, InBestSoil, and NOVASOIL. The consortium has participated in multiple conferences and workshops. In addition, several dissemination campaigns have been accomplished to reach out different target audiences (scientists, farmers, policy stakeholders, and general public). The communication activities of the project include the development of the project’s brand (logo, template, and colours), the launch of the website, the creation of a Newsletter and social media accounts, and press releases.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Specific key needs and opportunities have been derived from preliminary results. In particular, we highlight the following: accurate and updated maps of peatlands, a more granular refinement of the National Greenhouse Gas Inventories; emission factors for specific vegetation types; a meta-analysis of greenhouse gas measurement data for Central Europe; additional in-situ measurements and products are also needed to reduce uncertainties and develop Tier 3 approaches (e.g. bulk density, Soil Organic Carbon ranges, water table levels, CO2, and CH4); and methodologies that leverage on remote sensing and other networks, (e.g. National Forest Inventories, NFIs, the Integrated Carbon Observation System Research Infrastructure, ICOS, the International Co-operative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests, ICP Forests; the Land Parcel Identification System, LPIS, and the Land Use/Cover Area frame statistical Survey, LUCAS).