INVESTIGATE – Improving National GHG Inventories for Organic Soils and Mitigation Potential

Organic soils (including peatlands) on only 3% of the global land area contain more carbon than the entire forest biomass. If drained, the organic soil material is oxidized and released as GHGs to the atmosphere. In Europe, c. 275,000 km² of organic soils are drained. The European Union (EU) is, after Indonesia, responsible for the largest peatland emissions worldwide. In the Nordic and Baltic states, drained peatlands account for 25% of all national anthropogenic emissions. In spite of this importance, organic soils are insufficiently reported in National Inventory Submissions (NIS), especially because of large uncertainties with respect to activity (area) data and inadequate or unavailable emission factors, especially of specific mitigation measures. Furthermore, organic soil emissions remain unrecognized in climate policies in case of undifferentiated consideration of the land sector, where forest biomass sinks ‘compensate’ for organic soil sources. The split reporting of agricultural emissions over the sectors ‘Agriculture’ and ‘Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF)’ obscures that CO2 emissions from organic soils, i.e. from a minor part of all agriculture land, are of the same size as CH4 emissions from all animal husbandry and N2O emissions from all fertilization.

• Recommendations for reporting greenhouse gas emissions from organic soils: An analysis conducted as part of the project provides recommendations on how to improve national greenhouse gas inventories, raise awareness of emissions from peatlands and highlight mitigation potential in partner countries. Over 150 policy makers received this study, including at the UN Climate Change Conference COP 24.
• Better data and more knowledge: Organic soils were mapped in Ireland and other EU countries to record their distribution, extent and condition. This provides a better data basis for climate protection measures, land use planning and the management of moorland and peat soils. In addition, research was conducted into how agricultural use under wet conditions – for example with reeds, cattails or peat mosses – can be implemented ecologically and economically. 
• Expert network: Collaboration on this project, including around 13 workshops, has resulted in the creation of a sustainable network of experts who share their knowledge and experience, thereby further coordinating approaches to improving national greenhouse gas inventories. 
• Basis for further cooperation projects: The project results inspired three further project proposals focusing on peatland monitoring, greenhouse gas reduction and biodiversity conservation, involving partners from Germany, Poland, Latvia and Finland.

• Recommendations for reporting greenhouse gas emissions from organic soils: An analysis conducted as part of the project provides recommendations on how to improve national greenhouse gas inventories, raise awareness of emissions from peatlands and highlight mitigation potential in partner countries. More than 150 policy-makers received this study, including at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 24).
• Better data and more knowledge: Organic soils were mapped in Ireland and other EU countries to record their distribution, extent and condition. This provides improved baseline data for climate change mitigation measures, land use planning and the management of moorland and peat soils. In addition, research was conducted into how agricultural use under wet conditions – for example, with reeds, cattails or peat mosses – can be implemented ecologically and economically. 
• Expert network: Collaboration on this project, including around 13 workshops, has resulted in the establishment of a sustainable network of experts who share their knowledge and experience, thereby further coordinating approaches to improve national greenhouse gas inventories. 
• Basis for further joint projects: The project results inspired three further project proposals focusing on peatland monitoring, greenhouse gas reduction and biodiversity conservation and involving partners from Germany, Poland, Latvia and Finland.