PyroScale. Pathways to upscale biochar projects

Abstract

Pyrolysis of biomass is a promising Negative Emissions Technology (NET) to mitigate climate change. The solid product of pyrolysis, biochar, can be stocked in soils with co-benefits for agriculture. There is a strong push for this technology in international cooperation, with projects enabling know-how/technology transfer to the Global South, yet deployment remains limited. Research is required that embraces a socio-technical perspective to come up with socially robust approaches to accelerate a sustainable uptake. What are socio-technical success factors and robust pathways for sustainable upscaling of pyrolysis/biochar projects? Answering this question provides international organizations and NGOs crucial insights into more impactful development cooperation.