To meet the target of the Paris agreement and limit global average temperature increase to below 2°C above preindustrial levels, not only a reduction of greenhouse gas emission is required, but also GHG removal (negative emission technologies, NET). The latter needs to be implemented quickly within the next decades to remove 2.7 to 8.5 billion tons of carbon per year from 2030 onwards. However, large-scale (monoculture, industrial-only) approaches can have undesired negative side effects on biodiversity, ecosystem services and SDGs. Among the range of easy-and-quick to implement, SDG-friendly NETs is the production of biochar, a carbon-rich product of pyrolysis of biomass. PyCCS (pyrolysis for carbon capture and storage) is an alternative to the so-called bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) mentioned in the last IPCC 1.5° special report. It co-generates bioenergy while serving as a decentral, low-tech rural to high-tech industrial NET approach that offers a broad spectrum of economic incentives.
The benefits of biochar use in agriculture and forestry can span enhanced plant productivity, the increase in soil C stock, the reduction of nutrient losses from soil and non-CO2 greenhouse gases´ emissions. Furthermore, many other uses have been proposed for biochar beyond its application to soil, such as animal feed supplement, its use in building materials or bioplastic production. This session aims at bringing together different uses, incentives and implementation pathways of biochar as a NET technology (including, but not limited to, agriculture).
Despite its potential, biochar seems to be underrepresented in the discussion on NET, and its success depends on its large- or rather multiple-location, asap implementation strategies. This session will focus on the current advancements of the available pyrogenic carbon capture and storage (PyCCS) technologies, and on its potential application in the contexts of the green economy. Discussions on novel implementation strategies, associated risks, C sink certification and payment and on their ecological and socio-economic impact are highly welcome.