Carbon Sequestration

Under the Kyoto Protocol biomass is recognised as a method for reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Biomass contributes to reducing carbon dioxide levels through:

• Fossil fuel substitution
• Carbon sequestration

The term carbon sequestration can be defined as the ability of biomass or other natural systems to capture and store carbon, thereby preventing it from collecting in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Energy crops such as Miscanthus and Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) can be used to sequester carbon through storage in below ground biomass (i.e. roots).

Further information regarding the potential for energy crops to sequester carbon can be found at:

http://www.bioenergywm.org/documents/Carbon%20sequestration%20and%20bioenergy%20crops.pdf