Axel Reinaud: How biochar removes CO2 from the air -- and helps farmers thrive

How biochar removes CO2 from the air -- and helps farmers thrive

Biochar is a kind of charcoal that removes CO2 from the atmosphere, helping yield healthy crops and even producing abundant renewable energy in the form of electricity as it's made. This exciting climate change fighter is ready for scaling now. Entrepreneur Axel Reinaud outlines three ways to make this material more accessible to farmers -- so that our food system, energy grid and the climate can all reap the benefits. 

Biochar, made from heating plant waste without oxygen, can lock away carbon for centuries while making poor soils rich and productive. Farmers like one in Cameroon, with CO2 emissions 30 times lower than those in the developed world, can fight climate change and boost their livelihoods using this simple technology. Recent shifts in carbon credit markets have made biochar more affordable and scalable, opening the door for widespread adoption. With abundant agricultural residues worldwide, biochar could remove billions of tonnes of CO2 from the air each year.