Foundations

Carbon cycle & biogenic carbon

How biology moves carbon between the atmosphere, biomass and products.

Photosynthesis fixes atmospheric CO₂ into biomass; respiration, decay and combustion return it. Carbon captured by recently living matter is called biogenic carbon, and it is central to how the bioeconomy accounts for climate impact.

Biogenic vs. fossil carbon

Bio-based products that release only recently fixed carbon are treated differently from fossil carbon in life-cycle assessment.

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