Transcript The Promise of Biochar: Hope for our Climate, Fertile Farms

The Promise of Biochar:
Hope for our Climate, Fertile Farms
Biochar and Policy
Debbie Reed (MSc), Executive Director, International Biochar Initiative
Northeast Biochar Symposium 2009 - UMassAmherst
Friday, November 13, 2009
Biochar and Policy:
The IBI Vision
• IBI’s goals
– recognition of the potential of biochar as a climate change
mitigation & adaptation technology with ancillary (1⁰=soil
enhancing) benefits
– Promote supportive policy and regulatory environments to help
foster investments in and commercialization of the nascent
biochar industry
• We (the “Royal We”) cannot afford to not consider the
potential of biochar, and “We” must make the necessary
investments to pursue this potential
• IBI sees it’s role as sheparding this work within high level
policy arenas, while continuing to facilitate, coordinate, and
move the necessary underlying R&D, market, and
commercialization needs
Biochar and Policy:
International and Domestic Arenas
2007: IBI’s 1st International
Conference, Australia
• Significant Needs
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R&D
Recognition, education, outreach
Market development
Policy Development
• Significant Windows of
Opportunity
– UNFCCC, UNCCD,
Millenium Development Goals
– Australia, NZ, EU
– US Congress
Increasingly:
Time is of the
Essence
Biochar and Policy:
UNFCCC and UNCCD
UNFCCC post-2012 (i.e. post-Kyoto) Framework negotiations
• IBI presence since COP14 Poznan, Poland (Dec. 2008), and at
intersessionals since
• IBI has pursued biochar accreditation within agricultural
mitigation/terrestrial sequestration, with goal of developing
country support, seconded by developed country support
Progress:
– UNCCD Secretariat and ~20 developing country written
submissions to UNFCC in support of biochar as a mitigation
and adaptation technology
Biochar and Policy:
UNFCCC and UNCCD
• UNFCCC progress (cont’d):
– June 6, 2009 UNFCCC AWG-LCA negotiating text:
“Parties shall cooperate in R&D of mitigation
technologies for the agriculture sector recognizing the
necessity for international cooperative action to
enhance and provide incentives for mitigation of GHG
emissions from agriculture, in particular in developing
countries. Consideration should be given to the role
of soils in carbon sequestration, including through the
use of biochar and enhancing carbon sinks in
drylands."
Biochar and Policy:
UNFCCC and UNCCD
• UNFCCC progress (cont’d):
– Sept 15, 2009 UNFCCC AWG-LCA proposed
consolidated negotiating text:
“The development, application and diffusion, including
transfer, of technologies, practices and processes that
control, reduce or prevent anthropogenic emissions of
greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal
Protocol in all relevant sectors, including, but not
limited to, the energy, transport, industry, agriculture,
forestry, health, tourism and waste management
sectors;”
Biochar and Policy:
UNFCCC
• UNFCCC Process: next steps
– Continued focus on sectoral (agricultural) mitigation
track (soil carbon)
– Increased focus on solutions/technology track
– COP15 Copenhagen
• Multiple side events on biochar
• Delegate outreach and education
• Convenings: IBI, Carbon War Room, biochar project
developers, policy officials
– Copenhagen = post-Copenhagen
Biochar and Policy:
UNCCD
• UNCCD: continued joint progress on biochar
applications in drylands
– Jointly developed R&D agenda,
feedstock/deployment roadmap, project
development, education and outreach
– September UNCCD COP side event on biochar
(Buenos Aires, Argentina)
– Multiple joint events at UNFCCC negotiations
Biochar and Policy:
The US Congress
The US Farm Bill
2007
Senator Ken Salazar introduced the Salazar Harvesting Energy Act of
2007
2008
Farm Bill – Biochar R&D Program
“Biochar Research. Grants may be made under this section for
research, extension, and integrated activities relating to the
study of biochar production and use, including considerations of
agronomic and economic impacts, synergies of co-production
with bioenergy, and the value of soil enhancements and soil
carbon sequestration."
Biochar and Policy:
The US Congress
The 111th Congress: Climate Change Legislation & Biochar
2009
• House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Climate
Change invited Dr. Johannes Lehmann to testifiy on biochar
• Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV) introduces S.1713,
Water Efficiency via Carbon Harvesting & Restoration Act
(WECHAR)
• Rep. Shelley Berkley (NV) introduces companion legislation
(H.R.3748) in the House
• Senator Debbie Stabenow (MI) introduces Clean Energy
Partnership Act of 2009 (S.2729)
• Currently working with members of Senate on biochar
provisions in additional climate legislation to be introduced
www.biochar-international.org
Debbie Reed (MSc), Executive Director
International Biochar Initiative
415 Second Street, NE, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20003
[email protected]