The 1000 Year Question: Biochar CDR Permanence

Longevity of carbon sinks and especially biochar based carbon sinks is discussed with intensity and often without common ground.

To compensate a CO2 emission that causes a global warming effect for thousands to millions of years, a carbon sink must persist for equally long time periods. However, to avoid accelerating climate change we need climate action now. A carbon sink that persists for 10 years has a global cooling effect during these ten years as carbon sink that will persist for a thousand years. If such a 10 years carbon sink is renewed after those 10 years with an equal or higher sized carbon sink, the global cooling effect of the first short term carbon sink continues for as long as the second carbon sink persists or is renewed. Short term carbon sinks are as important to save the climate as long term carbon sinks. The Ithaka Institute developed a certification method that allows a correct accounting of short-, mid- and long term carbon sinks and their accumulation in C-sink portfolios. Biochar, rock, forest, and material carbon sinks can thus be combined to marketable global cooling services. We expect that global cooling services and not CO2-compensation will become the base of the new carbon sink economy.

The presentation given by Hans-Peter Schmidt, lead developer of Ithaka Institute, will introduce to the principles of global cooling services, the combination of various carbon sinks in C-sink portfolios, the accounting of global cooling services to balance private or cooperate global warming effects, and the principles of C-sink registry. The new approach of C-sink portfolios eventually allows to account for all carbon contained in biochar.