Following an elaborate 30-day public consultation period, Isometric has certified its module on biochar storage in the built environment.
This motion will now enable project developers to generate high-integrity carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits when storing biochar in construction materials such as concrete and asphalt, and the issued credits will come with a durability period of 1,000 years.
Created through a process of low-oxygen pyrolysis of biomass, biochar locks in CO2 emissions that would otherwise be released in the atmosphere when the biomass is left to decompose.
By locking in this CO2-dense product into low-oxygen environments like asphalt and concrete, project developers create a pathway for durable carbon storage, helping clean the environment from CO2 pollution and aiding in the decarbonization of the hard-to-abate construction industry.
To create the module on biochar storage in the built environment, Isometric employed a rigorous approach to monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV).
The module also has specific requirements for biochar characterization, continuous monitoring, durability modeling, and a risk analysis on potential reversal that’s based on a 1,000-year timeframe, taking into account the potential damages the biochar product might suffer during use, demolition, and recycling.
It requires CDR suppliers to ensure the durable CO2 storage by providing detailed documentation on the construction material production process, the equipment it was produced with, evidence of biochar incorporation, and the performance of the end product compared to conventional materials.
Under the module, suppliers also need to demonstrate the durable CO2 storage via robust biochar characterization and reversal risk modeling.
Relevant: Isometric Starts Public Consultation On Its New Module For Biochar Storage In Built Materials
During the complete project lifecycle, they are required to act in alignment with environmental and social safeguards, complying with all regulatory performance requirements for the construction material.
The biochar storage in the built environment module follows the Isometric Standard and was created by Isometric’s in-house Science Team, who collaborated with more than 300 experts from Isometric’s Independent Science Network.
During the module development, feedback was also provided by alterBiota and ecoLocked, both of which are suppliers that incorporate biochar storage in the built environment.
Read more: New Puro.earth Report Tracks The Rise Of Biochar As A Leading CDR Approach
