#149: Rethinking Waste as a Climate Solution with Carbogenics

Feb 24, 2026

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In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we sit down with Professor Ed Craig, a longtime sustainability pioneer and CEO of Carbogenics, an Edinburgh-based start-up engineering biochar from difficult-to-recycle organic waste and wastewater screenings. Drawing on decades of experience across academia, policy, and applied climate solutions, Ed breaks down what biochar actually is, how it’s made through pyrolysis, and why it represents one of the most practical and scalable tools for carbon sequestration available today. The conversation also explores how Carbogenics uses engineered biochar to enhance anaerobic digestion, increasing biogas output while locking carbon into stable, long-term storage.

Key Points:

Biochar is engineered carbon with real-world applications – At Carbogenics, biochar is produced from hard-to-recycle organic waste and wastewater screenings, turning disposal problems into long-lived carbon assets.
Biochar can materially improve biogas economics – When added to anaerobic digesters, engineered biochar can increase biogas yields by up to 20%, directly displacing fossil fuel gas while improving system efficiency.
The next growth phase goes beyond soil – Emerging use cases, from water treatment and cement applications to wildfire mitigation and orphan well remediation, could rapidly expand biochar’s role across multiple sectors.

Ed Craig, CEO of Carbogenics, LinkedIn
Lisa Ann Pinkerton, Earthlings 2.0 Host, CEO of Technica Communications, and Founder of Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, LinkedIn

🚀 Calling all Earthlings…

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