Examining the role of policies and programs in supporting carbon sequestration by natural and working lands: A case study of the CA Healthy Soils Program

Abstract:

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has determined that limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius will require drastic reductions in anthropogenic CO₂ emissions, reaching net-zero by 2050. Meeting these targets further necessitates negative emissions, or removal of carbon from the atmosphere, by both technological and natural pathways. The terrestrial biosphere, including vegetation and soil, is a primary driver of atmospheric CO₂ concentrations and optimizing natural sequestration will be critical for comprehensive climate strategies. There is growing interest in public programs and private markets that incentivize and monetize biospheric sequestration. The climate mitigation these policies and markets achieve, however, will depend on buy-in from growers, ranchers, land managers at scale, meaningful compensation, and will require accurate, reliable, and transparent quantification methods. We present an assessment of emerging state and federal programs that support soil carbon sequestration, including the California Healthy Soils Program. We examine program implementation, the role of technical assistance providers, and quantification methods employed. Our findings provide insight on how natural and working lands may be effectively integrated into broader carbon management strategies across other states and at the federal level.