The net ecosystem exchange approach is a paradigm shift for land-based carbon accounting
Net ecosystem exchange (NEE) is the most precise, operative, and cost-effective way to track the carbon footprint of land-use operations and generate carbon claims
When it comes to accounting for the carbon footprint of your land-use operations, the net ecosystem exchange approach enables you to
Track and share your climate progress with science-based, primary data from your supply chain and any nature-based projects
Avoid averages and emissions factors, which don't fully capture local and management variations
Understand whole ecosystem health and productivity, rather than only focusing on a single carbon pool (soil, aboveground biomass, etc)
NEE is a gauge of ecosystem carbon sink strength
Net ecosystem exchange (NEE) measures the net exchange of carbon between the atmosphere and ecosystem carbon pools: above- and below-ground biomass, soil organic matter, and dead organic matter.
Broadly speaking, NEE is the difference between photosynthesis, plants drawing CO2 out of the atmosphere, and respiration, the ecosystem “breathing” and releasing CO2 into the atmosphere.
As an independent parameter, NEE can be used for the assessment of the carbon productivity of fields, farms, and forests: areas with lower NEE absorb more carbon from the atmosphere and transform it into agricultural products and natural carbon pools.
Why does NEE matter?
Calculating carbon emissions and sequestration due to biological processes is complex.
An ecosystem is both drawing CO2 out of the atmosphere (photosynthesis) and releasing it (respiration), so we need to understand the net difference in those processes. And the rates of these processes differ based on land cover type (crop, forest, etc), region, weather, historical and current land management practices, and more. It gets complicated quickly.
So how do we incorporate all these dynamics to understand CO2 flux in nature? NEE.
Direct measurements of NEE account for all of the aforementioned variables, making it a fantastic parameter to track CO2 flux in productive ecosystems and nature-based solutions in a holistic way.
Here's how NEE will support your climate strategy
Link your procurement and sustainability teams with valuable insights on supplier performance
Supplier Assessment
Link your procurement and sustainability teams with valuable insights on supplier performance
Supplier Assessment
Use NEE to check continuously for deforestation along your supply chain and assess new supply areas
Deforestation-free Sourcing
Generate carbon claims on land-use operations based on updated product footprints, unique to your operations
Carbon Claims