Pacific Biochar Secures First U.S. Biochar Carbon Credits
Recognition of biochar by carbon markets bodes well for industry growth and its potential for the better utilization of woody biomass, promoting sustainability and forest health.
Sonoma County, CA - Pacific Biochar, the leading biochar producer and distributor on the west coast, has secured the first carbon credits for biochar in the United States, paving the way for rapid growth of the U.S. biochar industry and the carbon sequestration needed to address climate change.
Pacific Biochar transforms forestry biomass waste collected primarily from high-risk forest fire areas into a stable form of carbon called biochar. They do this by repurposing existing bioenergy infrastructure, which the company believes is the most cost-efficient way to scale up biochar production to meet growing demand and address climate change. Biochar is important for its carbon sequestration ability as well as its ecosystem benefits. It is listed as one of the top five natural climate solutions for climate change mitigation in a 2019 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.
Issued by the blockchain carbon sink platform, carbonfuture, the carbon credits were awarded for biochar produced at a Scotia, California biomass energy plant operated by Humboldt Sawmill and made with sawmill and logging residues from sustainably managed forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
“Biomass energy plants represent large-scale infrastructure well-positioned to produce massive amounts of biochar sustainably and cost-effectively,” said Andy Mercy, Head of Strategy for Pacific Biochar.
And Bruce Springsteen of the Placer County Air Pollution Control District (not the E Street Band) pointed out that "when considering the limited available pathways for managing excess forest residues that are economically feasible
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DECEMBER 2020