International Biochar Initiative (IBI, biochar-international.org) is a global non-profit association working to scale biochar, which is a form of charcoal made from organic biomass, as a viable climate change solution and carbon removal technology. IBI has launched a project in Pakistan to assess how utilizing biochar can build resilience in Punjab province communities that are already at high risk from the impacts of climate change. Open burning of crop residues is common in Punjab and surrounding regions and it causes severe adverse effects on public health nationally. Making biochar of those residues should reduce greenhouse gas emissions and offer a solution to the health impacts, while also aiding economic development for local farmers through the potential for carbon removal credits, as biochar is an IPCC-recognized carbon dioxide removal technology. CIEIF will support a top-notch team of IBI researchers as well as local experts to initiate the Punjab field test while conducting environmental impact assessment, life cycle assessment, and public health impact analysis for it. CIEIF’s funding also has allowed IBI to obtain a matching grant from the Indus Climate Fund for a parallel project in Sindh province.
