Periodic fire across Australian landscapes results in a natural process of carbon (C)
sequestration from atmosphere to soil by the conversion of biomass to charcoal. The extent
of this process has recently been quantified for Australia (Lehmann, 2009). There are
increasing calls to mirror and enhance this process by the concerted use of ‘biochar’, a form
of charcoal produced with the simultaneous production and capture of bio-energy which is
then applied to the soil. A measure of the need and interest for a concerted effort in this area
has been the evolution of an organised consortium, known as the International Biochar
Initiative (IBI) ().