On 30 June – 1 July 2020, CNCA and the Urban Drawdown Initiative convened a virtual two-day digital gathering to share information and innovations in the production and utilization of biochar, with virtual study tours of facilities in Stockholm, Helsinki, Silver City (NM), and Minneapolis.
Stockholm’s biochar project is reducing carbon emissions and improving soil quality by taking plant waste collected from residents and converting it into biochar — a charcoal-like product that sequesters carbon in soil — through a process called pyrolysis. This process can not only draw down carbon from the atmosphere, but also regenerate damaged soils, improve tree and plant production, increase water retention, and capture waste heat for use in district heating systems.
While there are examples of biochar use across Europe, Stockholm is implementing the first large-scale collaboration between local authorities and citizens in the generation of the product. In this video, Jonas Dahllöf, Department Head of Water and Waste, from the City of Stockholm, takes us on a virtual study tour of Stockholm’s biochar production facility, and discusses some of the ways Stockholm is applying biochar to achieve the benefits described above.
For more information please visit Urban Drawdown Initiative.