More than 200 Forestry Australia members joined today’s bioenergy and biochar webinar, making the case that Australia needs only to look to Europe — with three industry leaders walking through pyrolysis, certified carbon removal credits and biomass-fired district heating as the commercial pathways already proven offshore. Wood Central understands the session follows the association’s February release of its Forest Carbon Balance Evidence Review and its July 2025 endorsement of the federal Timber Fibre Strategy.
Dr Fabiano Ximenes opened with a focus on biomass for bioenergy in Australia, drawing on more than 20 years of experience in forest greenhouse gas accounting and on his role as a lead author of the IPCC 2013 Revised Supplementary Methods on Harvested Wood Products. “Forest residues hold real, measurable carbon value, and capturing that through bioenergy and long-lived wood products is one of the most cost-effective ways Australia can lift the climate value of every tonne it sustainably manages,” Dr Ximenes said.
Melissa Rebbeck, Chair of the Australia and New Zealand Biochar Industry Group, then walked members through how pyrolysis converts low-value forest residues into biochar, renewable thermal energy and certified carbon removal credits, with case studies showing how forestry industries can build new revenue under existing carbon market rules.
Andrew Lang, a founding board member of the World Bioenergy Association and now its senior consultant, closed with European case studies on biomass-fired district heating, drawing on Churchill and Gottstein Fellowship research and his management of about 130 hectares of farm forestry.
Forestry Australia President Dr Michelle Freeman said the session reflected how quickly the bioeconomy was moving into the commercial mainstream for the country’s foresters.
“Forestry Australia represents more than 1,000 forest scientists, managers and growers committed to evidence-based forest management. Growing opportunities in bioenergy, biochar and certified carbon removal show just how much Australian forests can deliver for climate, communities and regional communities,” Dr Freeman said. “There has never been a better time to join Forestry Australia. Our advocacy, webinar program and Future Foresters Initiative are all built on the strength and expertise of our members.”
Wood Central understands that the webinar carries 1 RFP CPD points for Registered Forestry Professionals, with the recording due to be made available through Forestry Australia’s member portal, and the 2026 program continuing across the year.
