The Environmental Impact of Solar Energy
Hemp Carbon Standards (HCS) conducted a study in 2023 to showcase the efficacy of industrial hemp in carbon sequestration through a detailed monitoring and verification process using the CarbonSpace digital Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (dMRV) tool. The HCS quantification model uses flux towers, satellite imagery, artificial intelligence, and a proprietary algorithm. Control Union conducts third-party verification of these processes. This initiative spanned 1509.1 hectares across 15 sites in the U.K., USA, Canada, Ukraine, and Spain. Farmers and hemp processors were both involved in the program, with different cultivation practices based on regional differences in soil types, climate, and farming methods.
The total Net Carbon Sequestration was -9194 tCO2 from January to November 2023, with CO2 intensity averaging 6.1 tCO2 per hectare (2.47 tCO2 per acre). The results demonstrated high sequestration efficiency per unit area.
Fiber Source Processing achieved the Top Performing Site with 10.4 tCO2 per hectare (4.21 tCO2 per acre) in our north-central Nova Scotia fields, showcasing exceptional sequestration.
These study-leading results were the culmination of two years of working with local farmers, deploying agronomists specialized in hemp, consulting with seed suppliers, collaborating with NS and NB Ministry of Agriculture specialists, and working with Dalhousie University researchers. While we are celebrating this success, the variations in sequestration have generated many new research questions. Most notably, the effect of biostimulants on hemp seed to boost growth. Researchers applied PepStim-H (THRIVE), a liquid formulation made from valorizing soy meal with enzymatic and microbial fermentation, to seed and then foliar applications bi-weekly. The treated plants emerged from the soil in three days, and the rapid growth is credited with the increase in carbon sequestration in the controlled plots.
Fiber Source’s team is committed to conducting further studies on the role of regional differences in hemp’s capacity to remove and store CO2. Our 2024 study has begun in western New Brunswick in partnership with Global Hemp Group, a public company focused on the development of industrial hemp products.