Biokolsanvändningen i Sverige : Vad krävs för att svenska lantbruk, kommuner och trädgårdsindustrin ska börja använda eller utöka sin användning av biokol?

Sammanfattning: The amount of carbon dioxide, CO2, in the atmosphere is continuously rising due to human emissions caused by combustion of fossil fuels and changing of land use. In a very short time several measures need to be taken in order to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere and thereby slowing down climate change as much as possible. The land use has changed considerably the last century with the biggest change in recent decades. This has led to that arable land all over the world has been depleted of nutrients with up to 75% in some regions. With a growing population worldwide and increased climate changes that threatens the arable land, something needs to be done to make sure we use the arable land in the most effective way. Biochar is one of the solutions to both these problems. By producing char out of biomass in high temperatures with minimized access to oxygen in a pyrolysis process you get biochar. This process releases less CO2 than a normal combustion process and the biochar becomes a carbon sink when it is put in the soil.  With its porous structure biochar has a great ability to keep water and nutrients in the soil for a very long time and it also makes the soil porous with a great amount of oxygen, which the roots prefer. The purpose of this essay is to find out what the use of biochar looks like in Sweden and how the use could increase within the agriculture, the municipalities and within horticulture. With qualitative interviews and a quantitaive and qualitative survey this essay has come to the conclusion that four things are needed to increase the use of biochar in Sweden. First of all, more scientific research is needed on biochar and how this can be used in the best way since it is a new product and there are still much to learn. Secondly, an increased production in Sweden is needed since today´s demand is bigger than the supply. Thirdly, it is needed to be able to certify ones carbon sink in order to be able to sell carbon-sink-ceritficates to companies who would like to reduce their climate impact.  Finally, more information on biochar is needed, in all stages. Producers need information to be able to start producing biochar and consumers need information in order to increase the demand and the interest of biochar.