Biomass residue to carbon dioxide removal: quantifying the global impact of biochar
Abstract The Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP) 21 in December 2015 established Nationally Determined Contributions toward reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In the years since COP21, it has become increasingly evident that carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies must be deployed immed...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Biochar |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s42773-023-00258-2 |
| _version_ | 1827709167038627840 |
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| author | David Lefebvre Samer Fawzy Camila A. Aquije Ahmed I. Osman Kathleen T. Draper Thomas A. Trabold |
| author_facet | David Lefebvre Samer Fawzy Camila A. Aquije Ahmed I. Osman Kathleen T. Draper Thomas A. Trabold |
| author_sort | David Lefebvre |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP) 21 in December 2015 established Nationally Determined Contributions toward reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In the years since COP21, it has become increasingly evident that carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies must be deployed immediately to stabilize concentration of atmospheric greenhouse gases and avoid major climate change impacts. Biochar is a carbon-rich material formed by high-temperature conversion of biomass under reduced oxygen conditions, and its production is one of few established CDR methods that can be deployed at a scale large enough to counteract effects of climate change within the next decade. Here we provide a generalized framework for quantifying the potential contribution biochar can make toward achieving national carbon emissions reduction goals, assuming use of only sustainably supplied biomass, i.e., residues from existing agricultural, livestock, forestry and wastewater treatment operations. Our results illustrate the significant role biochar can play in world-wide CDR strategies, with carbon dioxide removal potential of 6.23 ± 0.24% of total GHG emissions in the 155 countries covered based on 2020 data over a 100-year timeframe, and more than 10% of national emissions in 28 countries. Concentrated regions of high biochar carbon dioxide removal potential relative to national emissions were identified in South America, northwestern Africa and eastern Europe. Graphical abstract |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:17:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-515d54f6420a4ced93a0486d1561bb5c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2524-7867 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:17:08Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Springer |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biochar |
| spelling | doaj.art-515d54f6420a4ced93a0486d1561bb5c2023-11-20T10:27:45ZengSpringerBiochar2524-78672023-10-015111710.1007/s42773-023-00258-2Biomass residue to carbon dioxide removal: quantifying the global impact of biocharDavid Lefebvre0Samer Fawzy1Camila A. Aquije2Ahmed I. Osman3Kathleen T. Draper4Thomas A. Trabold5University of British ColumbiaSchool of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen’s UniversityInternational Biochar Initiative (IBI)School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen’s UniversityInternational Biochar Initiative (IBI)Golisano Institute for Sustainability, Rochester Institute of TechnologyAbstract The Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP) 21 in December 2015 established Nationally Determined Contributions toward reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In the years since COP21, it has become increasingly evident that carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies must be deployed immediately to stabilize concentration of atmospheric greenhouse gases and avoid major climate change impacts. Biochar is a carbon-rich material formed by high-temperature conversion of biomass under reduced oxygen conditions, and its production is one of few established CDR methods that can be deployed at a scale large enough to counteract effects of climate change within the next decade. Here we provide a generalized framework for quantifying the potential contribution biochar can make toward achieving national carbon emissions reduction goals, assuming use of only sustainably supplied biomass, i.e., residues from existing agricultural, livestock, forestry and wastewater treatment operations. Our results illustrate the significant role biochar can play in world-wide CDR strategies, with carbon dioxide removal potential of 6.23 ± 0.24% of total GHG emissions in the 155 countries covered based on 2020 data over a 100-year timeframe, and more than 10% of national emissions in 28 countries. Concentrated regions of high biochar carbon dioxide removal potential relative to national emissions were identified in South America, northwestern Africa and eastern Europe. Graphical abstracthttps://doi.org/10.1007/s42773-023-00258-2PyrolysisBiocharWaste biomassCarbon sequestrationNegative emissions technologies (NETs)Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) |
| spellingShingle | David Lefebvre Samer Fawzy Camila A. Aquije Ahmed I. Osman Kathleen T. Draper Thomas A. Trabold Biomass residue to carbon dioxide removal: quantifying the global impact of biochar Biochar Pyrolysis Biochar Waste biomass Carbon sequestration Negative emissions technologies (NETs) Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) |
| title | Biomass residue to carbon dioxide removal: quantifying the global impact of biochar |
| title_full | Biomass residue to carbon dioxide removal: quantifying the global impact of biochar |
| title_fullStr | Biomass residue to carbon dioxide removal: quantifying the global impact of biochar |
| title_full_unstemmed | Biomass residue to carbon dioxide removal: quantifying the global impact of biochar |
| title_short | Biomass residue to carbon dioxide removal: quantifying the global impact of biochar |
| title_sort | biomass residue to carbon dioxide removal quantifying the global impact of biochar |
| topic | Pyrolysis Biochar Waste biomass Carbon sequestration Negative emissions technologies (NETs) Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1007/s42773-023-00258-2 |
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