Meeting of scientists of NUBiP of Ukraine with the team of Ecosystem Modeling and Data Consortium (EMDC), USA

Dr. Corinne Walsh welcomed the new members and introduced Soil Carbon Solution Center (Center for solving soil carbon problems), which aims at improving data and the process of modeling greenhouse gas emissions on agricultural land and attract universities and non-profit organizations to this. Corinne Walsh provided recommendations for access to the EMDC model and its datasets, emphasizing the importance of meeting the terms of their use and providing training.

At the meeting, participants discussed the current challenges that exist in the voluntary carbon market and the possibilities of effectively combining the commitment market and the voluntary market. Corinne Walsh highlighted the growing trend of carbon integration: companies are looking to reduce carbon emissions in their supply chains. She also noted the uncertainty around the voluntary carbon markets in the US, noting that despite market volatility, companies continue to invest in carbon projects. Andriy Hryshchenko added that corporate social responsibility encourages large companies to invest in carbon quotas, regardless of government policy. The conversation also discussed the integration of mandatory and voluntary markets, with consortium members advocating for better standards and faster certification processes to promote market growth.

 

Returning to the topic of ecosystem modeling, Corinne Walsh outlined the steps to download the EMDC model. She stressed the importance of conducting training under the guidance of a model developer, which aims to help users understand the complexities of the model. In addition, Corinne provided information about access to information products and corresponding passwords. She also provided an overview of several datasets related to soil carbon, noting that they are mostly publicly available and standardized to ensure consistency.

Dr. Walsh talked about the upcoming API for the Descent model, which will simplify the input of data by user and is expected to be available by 2025 or 2026. Questions were also raised about the need to create a platform for user questions and the availability of email support for users. Corinne confirmed that the Q&A page is planned to be added, and users can already contact a specific email address for help if they have any questions.