Cutting Carbon – Promoting Biochar for Climate Change Mitigation

Italy, Croatia and North Macedonia have committed to the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and they are integrating the European Union’s Green Deal and Farm-to-Fork strategy into national and regional policies. Soil health and sustainable agriculture feature in their climate adaptation plans, yet biochar remains absent from policy frameworks despite its strong potential for carbon sequestration and land restoration. In the Mediterranean smallholder farms with tree crops, which the project is primarily aimed at, open burning of pruning residues is still widespread, causing greenhouse gas emissions. Soil degradation and desertification are becoming an ever-growing problem. Urban areas face increasing heat and drought stress, while biochar-based solutions for tree resilience and green roofs are largely unknown. As an EU candidate country, North Macedonia is rapidly aligning its climate and energy policies with EU regulations. The project supports this transition and contributes directly to the new EU Carbon Removals.

The project promotes biochar as a practical climate and soil’s resilience solution. As biochar does not only store carbon dioxide for many centuries but also serves as water and nutrient buffer in the soil, training farmers to replace open burning with sustainable carbonization seems promising. The team promotes biochar production and incorporation through scientific monitored trials and field workshops, explaining to farmers how to improve soil health and generate long-term carbon storage. In cities, the project demonstrates how biochar reduces drought stress in urban trees and incourage green roof creation, working closely with municipalities. Educational programmes involve schoolchildren as citizen scientists who grow seedlings and document plant responses, while young volunteers act as ambassadors for climate action across Europe. Through workshops, seminars and conferences, the project spreads knowledge, builds skills and raises awareness among farmers, local authorities, scientists and the wider public. By showcasing mobile and static pyrolysis models and exploring new business opportunities, the project strengthens rural economies. Taken together, these actions drive adoption of biochar in agriculture and urban greening, accelerating carbon sequestration in Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans.