image: Harnessing Nature’s Carbon Engine: Biomass as a Pillar of Climate Mitigation
Credit: Dato’ Dr. Agamutu Pariatamby FASc
As countries around the world grapple with the challenge of achieving net-zero emissions, a newly released online webinar recording is drawing attention to one of the most promising and underappreciated climate solutions: biomass-based carbon capture. The full recording of the international seminar, held online on December 17, 2025, is now freely available on YouTube, offering researchers, policymakers, and the public an accessible deep dive into how nature’s carbon cycle can be harnessed for large-scale climate mitigation.
The webinar, titled Harnessing Nature’s Carbon Engine: Biomass as a Pillar of Climate Mitigation, features a keynote presentation by Prof. Dato’ Dr. Agamutu Pariatamby FASc, Senior Professor at the Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development at Sunway University in Malaysia. The session was hosted by Prof. Siming You of the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom and attracted an international audience interested in practical, science-based pathways toward decarbonization.
In the talk, Prof. Pariatamby outlines how bio-based carbon capture approaches could collectively deliver up to 6.7 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in annual mitigation potential by 2050, based on estimates from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. These approaches include bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, biochar soil amendments, composting of organic waste, agroforestry, and regenerative agricultural practices.
“Biomass is often viewed simply as a renewable fuel, but its real power lies in its ability to remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it in soils and long-lived systems,” said Prof. Pariatamby during the webinar. “When designed correctly, these solutions are scalable, cost-effective, and particularly relevant for developing regions.”
The recording explains how different biomass pathways contribute to climate mitigation. Bioenergy with carbon capture could sequester between 3.5 and 5.0 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, while biochar application has the potential to lock away 1.1 to 3.3 gigatonnes annually, depending on soil and management conditions. Composting organic residues such as food waste and manure can further reduce emissions by avoiding methane release and enhancing soil carbon storage.
Beyond climate benefits, the webinar emphasizes the broader co-benefits of biomass-based systems. Long-term application of compost and biochar can increase soil organic carbon by 10 to 40 percent, improving soil fertility, water retention, and resilience to drought. Decentralized biomass solutions can also reduce landfill waste, generate renewable energy for rural communities, and create local green jobs.
By making the full webinar recording publicly available on YouTube, the organizers aim to extend the impact of the discussion well beyond the live event. The recording serves as a resource for scientists, students, decision-makers, and sustainability practitioners seeking evidence-based insights into nature-positive climate strategies.
The webinar recording is now available for on-demand viewing on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ojXxNI9AjcI?si=wg9s1OhBLUF7zb4r
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About Carbon Research
The journal Carbon Research is an international multidisciplinary platform for communicating advances in fundamental and applied research on natural and engineered carbonaceous materials that are associated with ecological and environmental functions, energy generation, and global change. It is a fully Open Access (OA) journal and the Article Publishing Charges (APC) are waived until Dec 31, 2025. It is dedicated to serving as an innovative, efficient and professional platform for researchers in the field of carbon functions around the world to deliver findings from this rapidly expanding field of science. The journal is currently indexed by Scopus and Ei Compendex, and as of June 2025, the dynamic CiteScore value is 15.4.
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About Biochar
Biochar is the first journal dedicated exclusively to biochar research, spanning agronomy, environmental science, and materials science. It publishes original studies on biochar production, processing, and applications—such as bioenergy, environmental remediation, soil enhancement, climate mitigation, water treatment, and sustainability analysis. The journal serves as an innovative and professional platform for global researchers to share advances in this rapidly expanding field.
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