“We’ve been making biochar for over a decade, supported purely by it’s agronomic value and driven by a passion to put massive amounts of carbon back in the ground and we’ve always believed that one day our biochar would be valued in carbon markets as well, an inflection point that would allow this carbon drawdown pathway to realize it’s full potential. It appears that time has arrived, and we’re excited to get going.”
– Josiah Hunt, Founder and CEO
Shovel Ready
Pacific Biochar lands first U.S. biochar carbon sink credits on carbonfuture’s platform
Sonoma County, CA – On November 30, 2020 Pacific Biochar, the leading biochar producer and distributor on the west coast, 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 first carbon credits were awarded to Pacific Biochar on November 30, 2020, for biochar produced at a Scotia, California biomass energy plant operated by Humboldt Sawmill (facility certified on November 18, 2020) 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 cheaply,” says Andy Mercy, Head of Strategy for Pacific Biochar. And Bruce Springsteen of the Placer County Air Pollution Control District (not the E Street Band) points out that “”when considering the limited available pathways for managing excess forest residues that are economically feasible, chipping the material in the field and transporting it to a biomass power plant for processing into biochar and renewable electricity represents one of the best available pathways from a regional air pollution emissions standpoint.” Given these advantages, Pacific Biochar plans to use its experience to partner with several plants in the next few years.
Catastrophic wildfires in California have made clear the urgency of forest management efforts that reduce risk and improve forest health. These federal, state, and private efforts result in copious amounts of forest biomass. In partnership with biomass energy plants, Pacific Biochar can give a portion of the forest biomass a second life by stabilizing the woody carbon into biochar and applying that biochar to farmlands where the benefits of improved soil health will be realized for generations to come. “The Redwood Forest Foundation, Inc. (RFFI) applauds Pacific Biochar’s pioneering efforts to sequester carbon through the production of biochar,” says Mark Welther, President and CEO of RFFI. “And their registration of carbon offset credits is an important next step toward addressing climate change and making sustainable forestry more economically viable.”
Pacific Biochar sells its biochar, unadulterated or enhanced, to farmers who realize numerous benefits from adding carbon to their soil, including improved water and nutrient conservation, increased microbial support and stable organic matter. This is a good thing because most agricultural soils have lost between 25% and 75% of their soil carbon in the past few decades. Pacific Biochar is already able to offer its products direct to farmers, who can realize long-term improvements to soil health and crop yield with biochar inputs. In one multi-year study, Pacific Biochar’s products increased pinot noir grape yield by an average of 1.2 tons per acre over two years of harvest, paying back the cost of biochar application in just the first year. With carbon credits to offset cost, a larger portion of the farming community will be able to profitably apply biochar. “We’ve been making biochar for over a decade, supported purely by it’s agronomic value and driven by a passion to put massive amounts of carbon back in the ground,” says Josiah Hunt, Pacific Biochar founder and CEO, “and we’ve always believed that one day our biochar would be valued in carbon markets as well, an inflection point that would allow this carbon drawdown pathway to realize it’s full potential. It appears that time has arrived, and we’re excited to get going.”
A number of organizations have been working tirelessly to make this moment possible, including nonprofit organizations like the International Biochar Initiative (IBI), the United States Biochar Initiative (USBI) and the Sonoma Biochar Initiative (SBI).
A photo of the first biochar delivery in US to receive credits
About Pacific Biochar
With the goal of safely sequestering carbon while leaving a legacy of fertile soil, Pacific Biochar Public Benefit Corporation was founded in California in 2016. Today, Pacific Biochar is the leading biochar producer and distributor on the west coast. Our goal is to be the leader in technology development, sales and marketing of biochar in partnership with biomass energy plants across the United States and select international markets. We have a shovel ready plan to scale to an annual carbon drawdown of more than 1 million tons CO2e in as little as three years time, a growth that can be supported by stable sales of carbon credits. Climate conscious companies can purchase Pacific Biochar generated credits from both Puro and carbonfuture to neutralize their carbon emissions. For more information, visit http://www.pacificbiochar.com
About Carbonfuture
Carbonfuture C-sink credits empower individuals and organizations to effectively remove CO2 from the atmosphere. For each credit, it is guaranteed by the European Biochar Industry Consortium (EBI) guidelines that one ton of CO2 is safely sequestered over at least 100 years, based on carbon preserving application of certified biochar. Carbonfuture C-sink credits are based on the most rigorous and trustworthy carbon crediting framework, which encompasses feedstock provision, biochar production, transport and the tracking of end use. As the duration of sequestration makes a huge difference for the climate benefit provided, carbonfuture requires sequestration over 100 years as a minimum. Blockchain-based tracking of biochar application and end use is key for trusted C-sink credits. The innovative C-sink credit offers for the first time full verifiable life cycle tracking of C-sinks. The credit also guarantees proper recognition of C-sink duration based on the most rigorous standard available. For more details, visit https://carbonfuture.earth.
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