5 March 2009: The European Commission (EC) has released a report that underlines the role that soils can play in mitigating climate change.

The report “Review of existing information on the interrelations between soil and climate change,” is a synthesis of the best available information on the links between soil and climate change, and highlights that soils contain around twice the amount of carbon in the atmosphere and three times the amount to be found in vegetation. The authors underline the need to sequester carbon in soils, adding that the technique is cost competitive and immediately available, requires no new or unproven technologies, and has a mitigation potential comparable to that of any other sector of the economy. [EC Press Release] [The Report]