Summary
This review evaluates soil carbon sequestration and biochar as negative emissions technologies (NETs) for climate mitigation in the context of meeting the 2 °C warming target. The author finds that both approaches offer useful negative emission potential (approximately 0.7 GtC eq. yr⁻¹ each) and may have lower environmental and economic disadvantages than alternative NETs such as direct air capture and enhanced weathering. The analysis highlights that current integrated assessment models do not adequately represent these soil-based options, limiting their consideration in climate stabilisation scenarios.
UK applicability
The findings are applicable to UK agricultural policy and practice, given the nation's commitment to net-zero emissions and reliance on integrated assessment modelling for climate targets. However, implementation would require domestic evidence on soil sequestration potential under UK conditions and integration of these technologies into UK-specific land use planning and agricultural support schemes.
Key measures
Negative emission potential (GtC equivalent per year); comparative assessment of land use, water use, nutrient impacts, albedo effects, energy requirements and economic cost across negative emissions technologies
Outcomes reported
The study assessed the negative emission potential of soil carbon sequestration and biochar addition, quantifying their climate mitigation capacity and evaluating global impacts on land use, water, nutrients, albedo, energy requirements and cost relative to other negative emissions technologies.
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