First, we asked Professor Shibata to explain the carbon negative concept.
The persistence of carbon fixation and sequestration is why these technologies are gaining attention. What’s more, biochar has the effect of revitalizing organisms and improving soil, which can help improve agricultural productivity. In addition, the main raw materials for biochar are unused biomass such as prunings, rice husks, and thinned wood generated in agriculture and forestry, making it a promising ecotechnology in this respect as well.

One of the promising technologies to achieve carbon negative is the use of biochar for carbon fixation and storage (i.e., carbon dioxide removal (CDR)), which Director Shibata explains as follows.
“Biochar, or charcoal made from trees and other biological resources, can effectively store carbon in the soil. Biochar is said to be able to fix carbon in the soil for anywhere from 120 to 10,000 years. Increasing forests through afforestation is another carbon-negative measure, but trees can only fix carbon for a few decades at most. If they burn or decay, they release that carbon back into the atmosphere."

“Biochar, or charcoal made from trees and other biological resources, can effectively store carbon in the soil. Biochar is said to be able to fix carbon in the soil for anywhere from 120 to 10,000 years. Increasing forests through afforestation is another carbon-negative measure, but trees can only fix carbon for a few decades at most. If they burn or decay, they release that carbon back into the atmosphere."

Ritsumeikan University began researching biochar in earnest with the establishment of the Ritsumeikan University Carbon Minus Project in 2019. In AY2020, the university was jointly selected by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries for a commissioned research project called the Decarbonization and Environmental Resiliency Project. Then, in September 2022, Ritsumeikan became the first Japanese university to purchase credits for the use of biochar on agricultural land under the J-Credit scheme, a system under which the government certifies the amount of greenhouse gas emission reductions and absorption as "credits” that can be bought and sold. Companies, local governments, and other organizations can purchase these credits to help achieve their environmental goals.

Amid the expansion of these kinds of research and practical activities, Ritsumeikan established the Japan Biochar Research Center in November 2022. With this, a framework for sustained research to realize practical applications for carbon-negative through the use of biochar was established.

The Center's undertakes research activities in both the field of natural science, where it strives to improve environmental conservation functions such as biochar carbon sequestration and soil improvement, and the field of social science, where it applies technologies in the real world. According to Director Shibata, the two are inseparable.

“It is important to advance biochar-driven carbon sequestration and fixation technologies by way of natural science research. On the other hand, if we do not use our social science findings to create a system that can be used by a large number of people in society, the technologies will not be utilized and carbon negative cannot be realized. If we want to promote practical applications, then it is also important to have people in society recognize the value of biochar via those technologies that scientifically and objectively assess how it can help protect the environment.”

In the month following the establishment of the Center, the Japan Biochar Consortium was established to conduct research and spread the word about biochar through open innovation. By taking a dual approach to both the social and natural sciences, the Consortium is accelerating the speed of practical application in the real world. About 150 private companies, national and local government agencies, universities, and other organizations and individuals collaborate to conduct a wide variety of research and share information.

One of the ongoing research projects, the branding of crops that can be produced on farmland where biochar is applied, can be seen as a concerted effort to develop a mechanism for practical application. Biochar is produced and applied to farmland in mountainous areas where unused biomass is abundant. Then, environmentally friendly agricultural products grown on this farmland are sold to urban businesses and consumers under the brand name Cool Vege®.

“Our strategy is to appeal to consumers who are highly conscious of environmental conservation using the name "cool," which refers to vegetables that help cool the Earth through carbon sequestration. The CO₂ reduction standard for farmland producing Cool Vege® is at least one ton per hectare. By stating the amount of reduction per product, we are visualizing how much the consumer is contributing to the environment.”

Currently, the Center is working with produce wholesalers and retailers to sell products in four to five department stores, and the brand is gradually gaining recognition. The Center is also considering branding for sake and wine, and, in a more unusual case, a golf course. It is hard to imagine how a golf course can be "cool," but it is actually one of the best projects for biochar application because of the importance of growing and managing grass and trees, which also generate unused biomass like prunings.

“For those who are concerned about the environment but don't know what they can do, this is an attractive option because they can contribute to CO₂ reduction simply by drinking, eating, and playing golf. I think what we need is something you can have fun doing. We are also conducting empirical research to investigate the environmental conservation awareness of consumers who buy Cool Vege.”

The aim of this project is to get consumers involved in order to stimulate the economy and make the initiative sustainable. Director Shibata says the Center is conducting ongoing research with business administration and policy science researchers on systems that encourage consumer participation.

Meanwhile, in the area of natural science research, the Center is conducting joint research with other universities and other public-interest research institutes on a variety of topics, including differences in the properties of charcoal depending on the biochar raw materials and firing temperature, and the relationship between the porous structure of charcoal and its adsorption properties. According to Director Shibata, some of the world's most cutting-edge research includes analytical methods for quantifying the carbon sequestration effect of biochar.
“The carbon storage capacity of biochar varies depending on the type of biomass used as the raw material and the region of origin, so we are continuing our research to create standard biochar products for each type and firing temperature range and to develop a biochar library. By developing this biochar storage database and accumulating data on storage properties through the maintenance and operation of this database, we hope to clarify the carbon storage functionality of biochar in more detail and increase its reliability.”

One practical application that the Center is aiming to implement is the creation of so-called "Cool Villages," places where unused local biomass is used as a raw material to produce biochar, which is used to store carbon and improve the soil, thereby revitalizing agriculture and realizing carbon negative.

“In a Cool Village, we can brand not only the agricultural products grown there, but also the fact that the village itself is a carbon-negative community. One example of this is the purchase of biochar J-Credits by companies and others for carbon insetting."

Carbon insetting is an initiative in which a company or other entity directly invests in a project that reduces greenhouse gas emissions within its value chain to offset its own emissions. Since the application of biochar to farmland is subject to J-Credit certification, it can be sold to companies as carbon credits. The Center has created a separate organization to develop a mechanism whereby farmers can sell biochar J-credits to generate revenue, which can then be used to purchase and utilize new biochar.

Currently, there are more than 10 regions in Japan that are promoting activities to realize the Cool Village concept. According to Director Shibata, although each region has the components in place, it will take time get them all functioning as a whole. For example, there is no way to shorten the time it takes to make biochar from grape prunings, bury it in the ground, and grow grapes to make wine. However, Director Shibata says he would like to see this come to fruition in the next two years or so and expects to see some regions start to make this happen.

The Center holds joint symposiums with the Japan Biochar Consortium to publicize its research, and it also organizes small-group workshops and seminars and offers online consultations for casual discussions about biochar. Meanwhile, the Consortium organizes study groups for its members according to national and international trends in biochar research and the needs of its members, but its members are free to join any study group and organize new ones themselves. This is because they believe that a system that increases the degree of freedom in research and facilitates the participation of a wider range of people is essential for biochar research as well as its practical application and widespread adoption.

Director Shibata explains the vision of the Center as follows:
“One of the goals of the Center is to turn the world's problems into something good. Using biochar and working with a diverse array of stakeholders, we will resolve the pressing issues facing regions, such as green waste pisposal, river pollution, and bamboo forest maintenance. Through this process, we will also advance the environmental technology of biochar.
The reason we included ‘Japan’ in the name of the Center is because we aspire to be at the forefront of biochar research in Japan. We intend to continue involving partners from a wide variety of industries, researchers, and government officials—from both within and outside Japan—with the aim of becoming a mecca of biochar research in Japan and ultimately the world.”

The Center's practical efforts demonstrate the importance of involving various players from society in applying environmental technologies in the real world as long-term initiatives. A future in which Japan-led biochar initiatives take the lead globally now feels within reach.