Sourcing biomass for carbon removal

Plants capture hundreds of gigatons of carbon every year in timber, crops, and other forms of biomass. Much of that carbon gets released back into the atmosphere through natural processes and human intervention. But there are a few ways that we can lock it away for good, like biochar, bio-oil, and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, or BECCS — all processes that fall under the umbrella of biomass carbon removal.

The International Panel on Climate Change calls carbon removal “unavoidable” — and biomass is a leading carbon removal contender. But everyone wants a slice of the biomass pie. Airlines want it for jet fuel. Midwestern legislators want it for ethanol. Homebuilders want it for construction. Oh, and humans want it for food. By 2050 potential demand for biomass could far outstrip supply. 

So what kinds of biomass should we use for carbon removal — and where should we get that biomass from?

In this episode, Shayle talks with Dr. Bodie Cabiyo, senior forest scientist at climate science consultancy Carbon Direct and lead author of A Buyer’s Guide to Sustainable Biomass Sourcing for Carbon Dioxide Removal.

They talk about topics like:

• How carbon removal is already competing with other uses for biomass.
• The complicated question of what counts as “waste,” which some BECCS companies are using to claim carbon reductions.
• Principles for sustainably sourcing biomass for carbon removal, like tracing chain of custody and avoiding market distortions.
• The environmental and carbon math tradeoffs involved in different sources of biomass.
• What Shayle would do with biomass if he were an omnipotent global leader.

Recommended Resources:

• Carbon Direct: A Buyer’s Guide to Sustainable Biomass Sourcing for Carbon Dioxide Removal
• Catalyst: From biowaste to ​‘biogold’
• Energy Transitions Commission: Bioresources within a Net-Zero Emissions Economy: Making a Sustainable Approach Possible

Sign up for Latitude Media’s Frontier Forum on January 31, featuring Crux CEO Alfred Johnson, who will break down the budding market for clean energy tax credits. We’ll dissect current transactions and pricing, compare buyer and seller expectations, and look at where the market is headed in 2024.

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