F1ES 4430 - Soils matters. A focus on the contribution of soils to the Paris climate agreement.

Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have not matched the ambition of the Paris climate agreement yet. If reducing the greenhouse gas emissions is a priority, in the race for carbon neutrality, atmospheric C capture and storage techniques must be found. The land sector is vulnerable to climate change and is also of much importance in the implementation of these techniques without undermining all the functions provided by soils. This course aims to enable students to take part in the debates on the trade-offs and synergies between different solutions provide by the land sector to adapt and combat the climate change.

To achieve this objective, this course will focus on the role of soils and their carbon stocks in the climate agenda but also in the fight against biodiversity and land degradation. Time will be devoted to practical works to assess the impact of land use changes on carbon budget. Finally, the notion of scientific diplomacy will be discussed to help students to understand the international debates on land management in the 3 international Rio conventions.

Learning Outcomes:
o The soil is no longer a black box. Be able to understand the different steps of the C cycle in eco and agro systems. Know the main determinants of this cycle in biomasses and soils.
o Mitigation, adaptation to climate change: appreciate why agriculture is on the solution agenda.
o Have a broad view on the constraints and benefits of agroecology to combat and adapt to climate change
o Be familiar with the different terms related to C storage in soils (C balance, organic matter, CO2 equivalent, C storage, sequestration, potential, saturation...)
o A better comprehension of the levers and barriers to reach net zero carbon emission by 2050: keep the integrity of the AFOLU sector as a lever for achieving SDGs. Identify the different actors of carbon sequestration and the benefits and negative externalities associated with C storage in soils
o Know the existence of tools to assess the environmental impact of land use and land use change: an example of the use of The Nationally Determined Contribution Expert Tool (NEXT-FAO)
o Appreciate the commitments to carbon neutrality in 2050 and the environmental integrity of the land sector: necessary synergy for the achievement of the SDGs.
Professional Skills

Technical skills
o Explain why soil matters for sustainable development goal achievements
o Practical experience of The Nationally Determined Contribution Expert Tool (NEXT-FAO)
o Justify the pivotal role of soil organic carbon stock for the 3 Rio conventions, i.e. for climate mitigation and adaptation (UNFCCC) but also for biodiversity (CBD) and desertification (UNCCD)
o Apprehend the complexity and limits of land use and management to promote continental carbon sequestration.
Soft skills
o Communication: oral, writing
o Leadership and collaborative spirit
o Critical thinking
o Timekeeping

Jean-Luc CHOTTE,Tiphaine CHEVALLIER

Séminaire

English

Course workload :

In-class presence : 24 hours
Online learning activities : 18 hours
Reading and preparation for class : 18 hours
Research and preparation for group work : 80 hours
Research and writing for individual assessment : 10 hours

No prerequisites

Spring 2022-2023

Assessment:

1) Individual work: oral contribution on a topic of student's choice about soil, agroecology SOC Pivotal role (a list of topics will be offer at the first session)
- Evaluation on the clarity of the expression and the respect of the time allotted for the oral presentation
2) Group work on
2a) the NEXT-FAO –collective report on the exercise
- Quality of the student's approach to assess the environmental impact of a rural development project
- Quality of the written restitution (format, illustration to describe the project, to describe the results)
- Quality of the options (and their discussion) proposed by the student to improve the rural development project proposed in the exercise
2b) an Advocacy for strengthening the AFOLU sector in the race to net zero Carbon-Oral presentation, free format
- Quality of the arguments
- Consideration of counter arguments to use land sector to combat climate change and/or alternatives other than the ones in the land sector to reduce climate change.
- Originality of the pleading format
Students'sub group assessment:

Oral presentation of the results of the exercice NEXT-FAO : 20%
Students written report of the NEXT-Tool exercices to be sumbmitted before the end of the course : 30%
Advocacy for soils : 20%
Student individual assessment:

Presentation on a topic of your choice on "soil", "agroecology", "land uses", "SOC"... : 20%
Activie participation during the course sessions : 10%

Pedagogical and feedback format

The course is organized around a tool for assessing the greenhouse gas balance of rural development projects and the importance of soil in the climate policy. The format of the sessions is a mix of conceptual lecture (65%), discussions (15%) and practical application (20%).
Feedback to students will be globally provided at the end of the oral presentations.
The report on NEXT-FAO exercise is prepared by the students in two phases. The first one is an oral presentation to present the exercise/rural project development chosen by the group. This presentation is not an official evaluation of the module. However, at the end of this oral, comments will be given to the group by professors and the other students. This feedback should be useful to prepare the written report. The evaluation of the report will be done at the end of the module. A writing feedback on each report will be provided to the student.