# Technology-Economy-Policy: Biochar in the Low-Carbon Energy Transition--A Review
## 5 Policy: Support for Biochar
provide emission reductions of 3.4-6.3 Pg of CO2 equivalent per year, half of which is carbon dioxide removal worldwide [128]. The biochar system is characterized by characteristics such as the amount of biochar co-products produced in the production process, the potential for biochar applications, and the benefits important to sustainability. Syngas, bio-oil, and process heat are three co-products of biochar that can be used as renewable energy sources. These products reduce CO2 emissions by replacing fossil fuels in energy generation, and there are positives to the biochar itself. In the NET field, the BS excels in many ways. The relatively low costs associated with mitigating climate change warrant attention, as they may vary based on location-specific conditions, the type of feedstock employed, and the production processes utilized for biochar. Biochar can be used as an intermediate for the production of a variety of goods beyond climate change mitigation, and potentially many valuable private goods for biochar users. In addition, the biochar system has fairly high accuracy in measuring permanently sequestered carbon compared to other terrestrial NETs, particularly soil carbon sequestration practices such as minimum tillage and permanent soil cover [129]. Overall, the land application of biochar leads to soil carbon sequestration, which can reduce net greenhouse gas emissions [68]. In addition, the use of biochar on farms by improving nutrient availability and the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil can increase crop production [64]. Therefore, it can reduce the loss of nutrients, sediment, and pollutants; in other words, the use of biochar not only sequesters carbon in soil, but also restores the organic matter lost with the removal of biomass from agro-forestry systems. Due to its specific surface area, surface functional groups, porous structure, and high content of elements such as carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, ash, sulfur, and nitrogen, biochar can contribute to many applications [8]. In the current context of intensifying climate change, the depletion of soil organic carbon, the desertification of the land, and depleting water resources, the benefits of the BS are unquestionable. Biochar has the potential to become an important social and economic branch, on which governments should focus their attention. Biochar as a soil additive can increase yields, although the variability of biochar properties is quite high depending on the specific crop, soil, and raw material used for biochar production and process conditions [130]. What is more, there are many possible uses for biochar that precede or do not include its ultimate application to soil, but that still result in long-term carbon sequestration. For example, biochar can be used as an additive in animal feed, paints, and textile fabrics, as an insulating material and a building material, and it can be used in the production of high-technology materials, as a material for batteries, etc. [131]. Currently, apart from the market for organic soil additives, the demand for biochar is generally insufficient to trigger an increase in its production. The BS as a NET can only be interesting if it is implemented on a large scale. Political support is essential for the economic viability of large-scale biochar production used for climate change mitigation and soil carbon restoration. From the perspective of economic policy, it seems essential to derive financial profits from the removal of greenhouse gases. The introduction by the EU of regulations concerning the safe production and use of biochar, as well as the certification of greenhouse gas removal and appropriate compensation for greenhouse gas removal, would significantly increase interest in the production and use of biochar [132].