Background

With global temperatures soaring above pre-industrial levels, the Paris Agreement aims to keep the mean increase appreciably below 2°C. To be successful, there will need to be a drastic reduction in emissions, and climate neutrality must be achieved by 2050. A crucial contribution will be made by continental ecosystems, which include forests, grasslands, croplands, freshwater biomes (e.g., rivers, peatlands), montane biomes, and coastal biomes (e.g., mangrove forests), as well as urban and periurban environments. These ecosystems can help limit emissions in general, through reductions in agricultural emissions and the greater use of biomass. They can also offset residual emissions in particular, as carbon can be stored in soils and biomass.  At the same time, natural ecosystems must be preserved, and the sustainability of managed and semi-natural ecosystems needs to be maintained. Otherwise, the supply of ecosystem services will be negatively affected. The first step is to expand our understanding of carbon dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems.

With its six-year budget of €40 million in PEPR funding, FairCarboN will significantly advance understanding of carbon dynamics in continental ecosystems. Jointly led by INRAE and CNRS, this exploratory project is harnessing the strength of the French scientific community, which is spread across multiple institutions, and the power of national research facilities, in mainland and overseas France, and international research facilities, namely in countries of the Global South. This PEPR project is striving to position France as an international leader in the study of carbon dynamics in continental ecosystems, a strategic research domain, while simultaneously building relationships with stakeholders and providing both expertise and support to policymakers. Via its highly ambitious efforts, FairCarboN is spurring this broad scientific community to action because it is essential to precisely define how continental ecosystems can contribute to climate change mitigation. Without this knowledge, the objectives of the Paris Agreement are unattainable.