Adding rock dust to farm soil could absorb 45% of carbon dioxide needed to hit UK’s net zero target

Adding rock dust to agricultural soils could cut millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide and play a key role in helping the UK reach net zero, a major new study has revealed.

The research, led by scientists at the University of Sheffield, indicated that this technique could absorb approximately 45 per cent of the carbon removal that is needed for the country to meet its climate change targets by 2050.

The mining needed to produce the basalt rock dust would also provide jobs and contribute to the government’s levelling up agenda, the study added.

A recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that cutting large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere was “unavoidable” if the world is to reduce emissions to zero overall.

Professor David Beerling, director of the Leverhulme Centre for Climate Change Mitigation at the University of Sheffield and senior author of the study, said: “Our analysis highlights the potential of UK agriculture to deliver substantial carbon drawdown by transitioning to managing arable farms with rock dust, with added benefits for soil health and food security.”

The scientists explained that the technique, known as rock weathering, is relatively “straightforward” to implement because no new infrastructure is needed.

It could potentially remove between six and 30 million tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere every year by 2050, the researchers found.

Rock weathering is also significantly cheaper than other similar techniques to reduce carbon such as direct air capture or bioenergy crops.

Dr Euripides Kantzas, lead author, said: “By quantifying the carbon removal potential and co-benefits of amending crops with crushed rock in the UK, we provide a blueprint for deploying enhanced rock weathering on a national level, adding to the toolbox of solutions for carbon-neutral economies.”

There are also other benefits that would directly help the rural sector and farmers specifically. Adding rockdust to the soil would help farmers cut down their greenhouse gas emissions, including nitrous oxide, one of the biggest threats to the ozone layer.

The powder would also reduce the soil’s level of acidity, boosting crop yields and cutting demand for imported fertilisers.

Reducing reliance on imported foods and fertilisers would help shield the UK market from external shocks.

The risks of importing have been made clear by the conflict in Ukraine, which has caused global food and fertiliser prices to spike.

The implementation will have to take into account the concerns of local communities and farmers, the researchers point out.

Professor Nick Pidgeon, a partner in the study and Director of the Understanding Risk Group at Cardiff University, said: “Meeting our net zero targets will need widespread changes to the way UK agriculture and land is managed.

“For this transformation to succeed we will need to fully engage rural communities and farmers in this important journey.”