Biochar, a charcoal-like substance made from biomass and used as a soil amendment, has been credited with multiple benefits, including the ability to improve soil fertility, protect water quality, and generate carbon neutral energy. But it is biochar’s potential to capture and store carbon in soils, and thus its potential role as a climate mitigation tool, which has attracted the most attention in the last three years; indeed, for a time, biochar seemed to enjoy status as a miracle cure to the global climate challenge. However, there remains a great deal of uncertainty with respect to the environmental and economic performance of different biochar production pathways, as well as key environmental risks associated with the production and use of biochar that must be addressed. As a result, estimates of the potential for biochar production and carbon sequestration remain highly uncertain and largely premature at this time