Plant-based insulation materials as CO2 sinks?

Biochar is to be used in construction as insulation material and can remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Image: Empa Researchers want to develop a novel type of insulating material from plant-based raw materials or waste products that can permanently bind the CO₂ it contains by means of a special heat treatment - and thus act as a CO₂ sink. What's more, once the buildings have been deconstructed, this "biochar" and the CO₂ it contains can be used in agriculture to increase soil fertility. The promising idea convinced several funding institutions, which are now supporting the concept financially. The building sector is the most material-intensive sector and one of the most important drivers of global climate change. It is responsible for around 40 percent of global energy consumption, for 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and accounts for 36 percent of the waste generated in the EU. Following significant efforts in recent decades to ensure that buildings consume less energy and that renewable energy is increasingly used in the operation of the building stock, greenhouse gas emissions have been noticeably reduced in this area.