Policy Frameworks

Policy frameworks concerning soil carbon are rapidly evolving, both in Europe and at the global level. Within Europe, the Roadmap to Resource-Efficient Europe (RRE) (COM (2011) 571 final; EC, 2011a), as well as the implementation of the Soil Thematic Strategy (COM (2012) 46 final; EC, 2012c), highlight the relevance of soil organic carbon (SOC) and the need to reverse its decline in many parts of the European Union (EU). Integration of this concern into several related policies, such as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) or the Climate Change Policy in relation to the LULUCF (land use, land-use change and forestry) negotiation process, shows a potential for reverting the current negative trends. The recognition that SOC played a crucial role in the current Multilateral Environmental Agreements negotiated in Rio de Janeiro (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - UNFCCC; United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity - UNCBD; and United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification - UNCCD) was clearly identified in the recent Rio+20 Sustainable Development Conference. Soil, as an important global terrestrial C pool, as well as a large biodiversity reservoir, is gaining attention within the UNFCCC and the UNCBD, while remaining a focus for the UNCCD, traditionally the global convention dealing with soil-related issues. The proposed Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Net Land and Soil Degradation paves the way towards a renewed global effort of soil protection and restoration activities. The framework of the new Global Soil Partnership (GSP) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will certainly contribute towards facilitating these recent developments.