IBI Awarded $100,000 to Propel Climate Resilience Biochar Project in Pakistan
The International Biochar Initiative is thrilled to announce a $50,000 grant awarded from the Climate Impact and Environmental Innovation Fund (CIEIF) and a $50,000 grant from the Indus Climate Fund (ICF).
This generous funding will support a groundbreaking biochar project in the Punjab and Sindh provinces of Pakistan, aimed at assessing the impact of utilizing biochar — made from local biomass waste — on building resilience in communities highly vulnerable to climate change.
The Punjab and Sindh regions face numerous challenges exacerbated by climate change; the poor air quality due to the common practice of open burning of crop residues, causing severe adverse effects on public health nationally, is of particular interest for the IBI project. Our initiative aims to transform crop residues into biochar, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions while addressing health concerns and fostering economic development for local farmers. Additionally, the project holds the potential for carbon removal credits, as biochar is an IPCC-recognized carbon dioxide removal technology.
“We are honored to partner with CIEIF and the Indus Climate Fund, allowing IBI to advance our mission of promoting biochar as a sustainable climate change solution. This initiative will serve as a case study for addressing environmental challenges with biochar production and also transforming communities with positive social and economic support for those most vulnerable to climate change impacts.”
Wendy Lu Maxwell-Barton, IBI Executive Director
This funding will enable IBI to assemble a team of top-notch researchers and collaborate with local experts to initiate field tests in Punjab and Sindh. The project, titled “Sustainable Crop Residue Management for Climate Resilience in Pakistan,” will include an environmental impact assessment, life cycle assessment, and public health impact analysis.
The grant to IBI from CIEIF is part of the first round of three $50,000 grants awarded toward environmental impact analysis for climate restoration projects. Other inaugural grantees include Arctic Reflections, a Dutch start-up focused on restoring Arctic ice, and Captura Corp., an American ocean carbon capture company.
This is also IBI’s first grant from ICF. ICF is working on multiple projects in Pakistan and is collaborating with Irshad Foundation to provide education to marginalized communities in Pakistan, with a special emphasis on educating young girls. The Fund also works with medical institutions to provide health care services to people in remote locations who otherwise wouldn’t be able to access these services.
About Climate Impact and Environmental Innovation Fund (CIEIF) – CIEIF offers a fast and unbureaucratic source of funds to aid EIA, impact modeling, and/or stakeholder outreach for climate intervention field tests.CIEIF’s decision-making team consisted of Peter Jenkins, Fund Manager; Renaud de Richter, Science Advisor; and John Fitzgerald, Legal Advisor. They narrowed numerous applications from down to three based on several factors, including the clarity of the applications, their long-term potential for climate-relevant beneficial impacts, and the applicants’ commitment to publishing the results of their environmental impact analyses. All grantees will publish their impact-related results either in a peer-reviewed journal or as a publicly available report with independent peer review. One of CIEIF’s primary goals is to add to the body of knowledge about the potential risks and benefits of various climate interventions.
About Indus Climate Fund – Indus Climate Fund was formed for the purpose of uplifting people and communities that have been affected by climate change in Pakistan, especially after the devastating floods of 2022. Although climate change is a worldwide phenomenon, affecting human health and economic performance, it more severely impacts poverty-stricken people and countries. These effects include lower agricultural yields, heightened weather events like droughts and floods, and increased vulnerabilities. Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries affected by climate change. Indus Climate Fund has founded Indus Biochar in Pakistan to educate farmers on the production and benefits of biochar and provide them with Kon-Tiki kilns. ICF is focusing on methane avoidance and carbon capture projects as well. Khurram Irshad, the managing director of Indus Climate Fund, is also a graduate of IBI First Biochar Academy.