Clean Air Task Force (CATF) has released a new tool through which users can evaluate biomass carbon removal (BiCRS) protocols to ensure CO2 removal projects deliver measurable and durable climate benefits.
WIth the BiCRS Benchmark toolhttps://www.catf.us/land-systems/bicrs-benchmark/, users can assess a protocol against 18 features critical for high-quality carbon dioxide removal (CDR).
This tool stems from CATF’s assessment of 25 publicly available BiCRS protocols, which convened an expert panel of scientists, engineers, and economy experts to evaluate 94 different protocol approaches.
The panel assessed the protocol approaches across four core components, including biomass production and transportation, pre-processing and bioconversion, long-term CO2 storage, and system accounting.
Drawing from this work, the BiCRS Benchmark tool offers a practical framework for the self-assessment and strengthening of biomass CDR protocols.
“Our initial assessment of carbon credit protocols represented a snapshot in time but protocols are routinely revised,” said Stephanie Herbstritt, Associate Director of Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering at CATF. “Our new tool supports registries and others seeking to strengthen their methodologies.”
CATF’s assessment of the 25 publicly available BiCRS protocols revealed significant variations in how protocols address biomass production and transportation, conversion and long-term CO2 storage.
These inconsistencies can create risks of overlooking emissions in carbon accounting, a double count of benefits, or other miscalculations on the amount of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere through BiCRS.
Relevant: In A New Study, CATF Evaluates The Strength Of Existing Biomass CDR Protocols
By using this tool, users can evaluate protocols, identifying their strengths and weaknesses, and benchmarking results against CATF’s assessment of the highest-scoring approaches among the BiCRS protocols it evaluated, gaining insights on potential strengthening opportunities.
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