Soil-Based Emissions and Context-Specific Climate Change Planning to Support the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on Climate Action: A Case Study of Georgia (USA)

Davis G. Nelson, Elena A. Mikhailova (), Hamdi A. Zurqani, Lili Lin, Zhenbang Hao, Christopher J. Post, Mark A. Schlautman and George B. Shepherd
Additional contact information
Davis G. Nelson: Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
Elena A. Mikhailova: Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
Hamdi A. Zurqani: University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, Arkansas Forest Resources Center, University of Arkansas System, Monticello, AR 71656, USA
Lili Lin: Department of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China
Zhenbang Hao: Department of Electronic Information, Zhangzhou Institute of Technology, Zhangzhou 363000, China
Christopher J. Post: Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
Mark A. Schlautman: Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, Clemson University, Anderson, SC 29625, USA
George B. Shepherd: School of Law, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 10, 1-24

Abstract: Soil-based emissions from land conversions are often overlooked in climate planning. The objectives of this study were to use quantitative data on soil-based greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the state of Georgia (GA) (USA) to examine context-specific (temporal, biophysical, economic, and social) climate planning and legal options to deal with these emissions. Currently, 30% of the land in GA has experienced anthropogenic land degradation (LD) primarily due to agriculture (64%). All seven soil orders were subject to various degrees of anthropogenic LD. Increases in overall LD between 2001 and 2021 indicate a lack of land degradation neutrality (LDN) in GA. Besides agricultural LD, there was also LD caused by increased development through urbanization, with 15,197.1 km 2 developed, causing midpoint losses of 1.2 × 10 11 kg of total soil carbon (TSC) with a corresponding midpoint social cost from carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions (SC-CO 2 ) of USD $20.4B (where B = billion = 10 9 , $ = U.S. dollars (USD)). Most developments occurred in the Metro Atlanta and Coastal Economic Development Regions, which indicates reverse climate change adaptation (RCCA). Soil consumption from developments is an important issue because it limits future soil or forest carbon (C) sequestration potential in these areas. Soil-based emissions should be included in GA’s carbon footprint. Understanding the geospatial and temporal context of land conversion decisions, as well as the social and economic costs, could be used to create incentives for land management that limit soil-based GHG emissions in a local context with implications for relevant United Nations (UN) initiatives.

Keywords: carbon; damage; decarbonization; gas; greenhouse; land use (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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