Analysis of ten Selected Crediting Methodologies for Climate-friendly Soil Management
Annex to the report "Funding Climate-friendly Soil Management"
- Publication
- Citation
Siemons, Anne et al. 2023: Analysis of ten selected crediting methodologies for climate-friendly soil management. Annex to the final report "Funding climate-friendly soil management: Appropriate policy instruments and limits of market-based approaches". German Environment Agency: Dessau-Roßlau.
This report, commissioned by the German Environment Agency and co-authored by Ecologic Institute, contains a detailed assessment of ten crediting methodologies on climate-friendly soil management measures. These crediting methodologies are examples of result-based payment and offsetting approaches to fund enhanced carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agricultural practices. Assessed crediting methodologies include prominent private market methods such as Verra's Improved Agricultural Land Management method and methods from American Carbon Registry, as well as smaller European methods such as Austria's Ökoregion Kaindorf's Humus Certificates methodology, and public examples from the Alberta Offset Program and the Australian Emissions Reduction Fund.
Our evaluation of these certification methodologies assess each against a set of guiding questions and indicators. The evaluation framework covers key aspects, including emission quantification, baseline setting, additionality, risk management, environmental and social impacts, and governance.
A synthesis of the analysis is included in the final report of the project, where we conclude that the certification methodologies exhibit significant weaknesses. Most pressing is the issue of non-permanence, which is inadequately addressed. Quantification and additionality also pose significant challenges in many methodologies.
This publication is an annex to the report "Funding Climate-friendly Soil Management. Appropriate policy instruments and limits of market-based approaches."
Contact
- Language
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English
- Authorship
- Funding
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German Environment Agency (UBA), Germany - Published in
- Climate Change | 02/2025
- Published by
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German Environment Agency (UBA), Germany - Year
- Dimension
- 85 pp.
- ISSN
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1862-4359
- Project
- Project ID
- Table of contents
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Click to show full table of contents
- Keywords
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climate-friendly soil management, carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions, soil carbon credits, sustainable agriculture, carbon offset methodologies, soil health, carbon crediting systems, GHG reduction, soil organic carbon (SOC), sustainable farming practices, carbon markets, environmental governance, land use conservation, carbon accounting, soil management policies, agricultural sustainability, biodiversity conservation, monitoring and verification (MRV), regenerative agriculture, European UnionGermany, Austria, Europe, United States, Canada, China, North America, South Dakota, Montana, Prairie Pothole Region, Northeast Anhui, Australia, Alberta, France, Kaindorf, Northwest Europe, global, regional initiatives, local soil management, international carbon markets, jurisdictional approaches, voluntary carbon marketsGold Standard Soil Organic Carbon Framework, Verra Voluntary Carbon Standard (VM042) for Improved Agricultural Land Management, American Carbon Registry (ACR) Avoided Conversion of Grasslands and Shrublands to Crop Production, Ökoregion Kaindorf Humuszertifikate, Climate Action Reserve Soil Enrichment Protocol (SEP), Nori Pilot Croplands Methodology, Alberta Offset Program Quantification Protocol for Conservation Cropping, Australian Emission Reduction Fund (ERF) Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration Method, Interreg North-West Europe Care-Peat Program, Label Bas Carbone Orchard Plantation Method.
Siemons, Anne et al. 2025: Funding climate-friendly soil management. Appropriate policy instruments and limits and market-based approaches. Final report. 01/2025. German Environment Agency: Dessau-Roßlau.
Siemons, Anne et al. 2023: Funding climate-friendly soil management: Risks and key issues. Key issues to be considered in the design of funding instruments. German Environment Agency: Dessau-Roßlau.
Frelih-Larsen, Ana et al. 2022: Role of soils in climate change mitigation. Interim Report. Climate Change 56/2022. German Environment Agency: Dessau-Roßlau.