BES & UKCEH, Land Use for Net Zero (LUNZ), Comparison of national soil monitoring approaches, Bridget Emmett.
Abstract
This presentation focuses on the ongoing work to compare and align national soil monitoring approaches across the four nations of the UK and the EU. The main aim is to ensure that the UK continues its strong legacy of soil monitoring, remaining in line with EU standards for sharing evidence and policy strategies. The work involved an invite-only workshop in February 2024, bringing together policymakers and monitoring program providers from across the UK and EU. The goal is to assess and harmonize various aspects of soil monitoring, including purpose, design, methods, and data availability. Moving forward, the presentation emphasizes the need for standardized indicators and methodologies to monitor key soil issues such as organic matter loss, erosion, compaction, and nutrient status, in line with the EU Soil Mission and its proposed new Soil Monitoring Law.