Australia’s soil to become net carbon emitter and threat to climate goals, report says

Wed, 1 May 2024 03:27:32 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/03/australia-soil-carbon-emissions-sequestration-report-net-zero>

"Intensifying extreme heat and drought due to the climate crisis will make
Australia’s soil a net emitter of carbon dioxide, impeding the country from
reaching its climate goals, new analysis has found.

Soil carbon sequestration has been identified as a way to help Australia meet
its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets of 43% by 2030 and net zero by
2050.

But a study published in the Nature Portfolio Journal has estimated that
median annual emissions from Australian soils will range from about 30 to 100
megatons of C02 over the next 80 years. The modelling is based on the
prevailing “middle-of-the-road” global emissions reduction scenario.

The report found net median soil carbon emissions during 2020-45 would be
equivalent to 14% of the country’s total 2022 emissions, or 82% of agriculture
emissions.

The report’s lead author, Prof Raphael Viscarra Rossel, said the “concerning”
findings showed the substantial threat soil carbon losses posed to Australia’s
emissions reduction targets.

“If Australia wants to achieve its emissions reductions targets … that’s a
significant amount of emissions that we’re not accounting for,” he said."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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