Biochar Carbon Removal (BCR) is a significant carbon removal solution which has the potential to address up to 35% of the global carbon removal requirement. Through the process of pyrolysis (using high heat in a limited oxygen environment), biomass is transformed into biochar. The carbon that is trapped into biochar will be locked in the soil for centuries, if not millennia.  

Beyond it’s carbon removal capabilities, its extensive co-benefits include increasing plant productivity, crop yield, water use efficiency, soil organic carbon and available soil nutrients. Furthermore, it reduces emissions of nitrogen oxides and counters invasive species by neutralising their toxic secretions.

This process involves converting organic waste into biochar through pyrolysis, a process that heats biomass in a low-oxygen environment. Farmers apply it to soils, which improves fertility, water retention, and microbial activity while sequestering carbon. Pyrolysis also generates gases and bio-oils, which can fuel renewable energy.

The UK develops standards and carbon credit systems to encourage its production, though scaling and economic viability present challenges. Many see this method as key to carbon sequestration and sustainable agriculture.

Contact us if you wish to learn more or learn more about our biodiversity opportunities.