Industry News

Bloomberg Philanthropies

Summary

Bloomberg Philanthropies today announced that seven cities from Europe and the United States will receive support to adopt Stockholm’s 2014 Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Mayors Challenge Winning Biochar Project, which turns plant waste from parks and homes – everything from grass clippings to trees and limbs – into a charcoal-like substance that residents can then use in their yards and gardens to help combat climate change. When biochar is used as a soil fertilizer it promotes plant growth while simultaneously absorbing carbon from the atmosphere and locking it into the soil as well as reduces stormwater runoff.

Each of the seven cities plans to approach the effort in a unique way based on their local environments and needs, including:

• Minneapolis, Minnesota: Minneapolis will build a biochar production facility and plans to utilize green waste from the region and harness the heat produced in a low carbon district energy system.