Institute for Energy Studies Speaker Series Presents: Biochar and the Case for Carbon Removal

Check out this video to watch the Biochar and the Case for Carbon Removal.

Biochar is an alternative use for biomass that may otherwise burn or decay, releasing multiple greenhouse gases. The process of creating biochar locks carbon in a more stable form, keeping it in soils or other materials like concrete for hundreds to thousands of years. Biochar does occur naturally, and one of the oldest documented human uses dates back over 2,000 years. Fast forward to the 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report, that in order to limit warming, reducing emissions alone would not be sufficient; there was an additional need to remove CO2 from the atmosphere and existing carbon cycles. So began a rapid evolution of an industry which in 2020 transacted 18,000 metric tonnes of stored carbon dioxide and grew to 43.5 million tonnes as of January 2026 (CDR.fyi). We will dive into the science of biochar, the complexities of carbon credit markets, and the "boots on the ground" stories of navigating commercial deployment. From project feasibility to equitable scaling, we will discuss what it takes to turn biomass waste into a powerful tool for climate change mitigation.

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