Photo provided by Bio360 of Biochar Panel: From left to right: Jain Ankur (Managing Director, Ankur Scientific Energy Technologies), Johannes Kern (CSO, RecyCoal GmbH), Kathleen Draper (International Biochar Initiative & Ithaka Institute), Lissete Davila (Head of Grants, Advanced Renewable Technology International “ARTi”) and Axel Reinaud (Co-founder & CEO at NetZero)
In February 2025, ARTi participated in an essential panel discussion at the bio360 green tech conference in Nantes, France. The Bio360 Expo in Nantes, France is a prestigious international showcase for sustainability and bioeconomy solutions. ARTi was represented at the Expo by team member Lissete Davila. The session, “Biochar in the Global South: From Current Experience to Gigatons of Carbon Elimination,” explored the vast potential of biochar for carbon removal in tropical regions. With rapid plant growth rates and increasing large-scale biochar production facilities in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, the Global South is poised to play a major role in climate mitigation. ARTi joined other industry leaders to share insights on how biochar is transforming agricultural residues into a powerful tool for carbon sequestration and soil regeneration.
Exponantes Le Parc, Nantes, France where bio360 is held.
One of the best materials for sequestering carbon and thereby creating opportunities for carbon credits is biochar.
Carbon credits turn CO2 emissions into a financial mechanism. We want to reduce CO2 emissions because they cause climate change as well as extreme weather events, ocean acidification, ecosystem imbalances, disruptions to the carbon cycle and the list goes on. Companies that emit CO2 must either reduce their emissions and compensate by purchasing credits, either through regulatory or voluntary markets. However, more and more companies are engaging in carbon credits regardless if they are located in a voluntary market or not. Carbon credits can be generated through either emission reduction or carbon removal (sequestration). Carbon offsets projects focus on lowering CO2 emissions compared to a baseline, while sequestration projects capture and store carbon in a stable form that would otherwise be released. Among the leading sequestration methods for generating carbon credits today is biochar. ARTi produces biochar and the pyrolysis equipment to manufacture it. Biochar locks carbon in a stable form for centuries by preventing biomass from decomposing and releasing CO2. Biochar is excellent at achieving carbon sequestration.
Photo of Expo in full swing 2025 provided by Bio360
Panel discussions at bio360 confirmed that 90% of actual purchases of carbon credits belong to biochar.
According to panel talks at Bio360, biochar accounts for 90% of actual carbon credit sales. Biochar is a highly effective mechanism for carbon credits because it nearly permanently sequesters carbon while providing environmental and agricultural co-benefits. When biomass residues are pyrolyzed, that is turned into biochar, their carbon content is locked in for hundreds to thousands of years. Carbon offset projects focused on removal such as reforestation and soil carbon storage are unable to hold the carbon for as long as biochar is able to. Biochar projects are highly valued in carbon markets because they offer long-term, verifiable carbon removal and qualify for certification by registration bodies like Puro.Earth for example. Additionally, biochar creates multiple revenue streams beyond carbon credits, such as soil enhancement, water filtration, and carbon-negative construction materials, making it a financially sustainable and impactful climate solution.
Audience for panel discussions photo provided by Bio360
Biochar needs to be produced at gigaton scale and primarily for agriculture to reach its full impact.
Following the recognition of biochar as the premiere carbon credit material, discussions at Bio360 also noted that it must be produced at gigaton scale to have the impact that it needs to have. The biochar sector is expanding rapidly, with a current production rate of at least 350,000 metric tons per year. By 2040, there is a clear path to achieve a gigaton of carbon reduction via biochar. The industry is very optimistic about this quick rise, predicting that revenues will increase from $600 million in 2023 to approximately $3.3 billion by 2025. (IBI, 2024)
ARTi’s Pioneering Role in Advancing Biochar Production and Carbon Credit Generation for Sustainable Agriculture in the Global South.
ARTi’s contribution to the panel discussion at the bio360 Green Tech Conference was pivotal in highlighting the intersection of biochar production and carbon credits, particularly in the context of agricultural applications. Lissete from ARTi emphasized the transformative potential of biochar in enhancing soil health and carbon sequestration, especially in the Global South. She showcased projects ARTi has worked on in the past in Nicaragua and currently in Ecuador with Fundacion Humana People to People (link) and in Uruguay with a carbon sequestration park project, illustrating how biochar can mitigate greenhouse gas emissions while improving agricultural resilience. By highlighting such projects, ARTi aims to raise awareness and demonstrate biochar’s dual benefits: enhancing soil fertility and capturing carbon.
In South America, we aim to collaborate with carbon partners and investors to develop high-impact projects, breaking initial barriers and attracting external buyers. Biochar credits present a unique opportunity by delivering socio-environmental benefits while unlocking carbon finance and minimizing risk. We are actively working to facilitate carbon credit generation and foster transparency in carbon offset initiatives, through automation data to streamline dMRV (digital Monitoring, reporting and verification). This strategy aligns with global sustainability goals and empowers communities in the Global South, highlighting biochar’s role in enhancing soil health and combating climate change.
Other conversations pointed out that agriculture is a fundamental application for biochar. Biochar’s role in agriculture and carbon markets is expanding, with practical applications demonstrating its benefits in soil enhancement and carbon sequestration. Ongoing projects and market growth reflect a positive trajectory for biochar as a tool for sustainable agriculture and climate change mitigation.
All of these developments are markedly promising for a sector that was still considered niche and untested only a handful of years ago. At Bio360 it was iterated that more awareness of the product and its benefits is required to drive adoption and scaling. One last consideration is that the quality of biochar being produced needs to be of a reliable high quality, an aspect that also feeds into supporting the best outcome for the biochar industry as a whole.
Bio360 Expo is a not-to-miss international event aimed at accelerating the biotransition, a transition from fossil-based energy to bioenergy and biobased industry. ARTi is more than well-suited to join in with other experts in attendance to discuss sustainable solutions and innovative strategies to reduce CO2 emissions and remove excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Further solidifying biochar’s role in these efforts supports these important goals.
