17/03/2020 (Agence Europe) – According to a study published Monday, 16 March, in the Nature Sustainability journal, restoring and protecting the planet's soil could help eliminate up to 5.5 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases every year, which is a level almost equivalent to the annual emissions rate of the United States. According to the authors, soil carbon sequestration accounts for 25% of the potential of 'natural climate solutions'. Of this, 40% would come from the protection of soil carbon stocks in existing forests, peatlands and wetlands, while the remaining 60% would depend on the replenishment of depleted stocks. In particular, protecting and reforesting existing forests could eliminate 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 per year. The authors also highlighted the potential of certain agricultural techniques for improving storage of carbon in the soil, such as spreading biochar on agricultural land. To read the study, go to: https://go.nature.com/3b4vrCm (DG)