The B4C Competence Framework has been developed as part of the B4C project to describe the competences that learners, professionals, teachers and facilitators may need when working with biochar, the Circular Carbon Economy and Education for Sustainable Development.
The B4C project adapted a Design-Based Collaborative Learning approach to support the introduction of biochar and Circular Carbon Economy into vocational education, adult learning, professional development and local sustainability initiatives. The approach was not used as a purely theoretical learning model, but as a practical framework for helping learners, trainers and stakeholders move from understanding biochar towards developing concrete ideas, prototypes, learning activities and local implementation concepts.
The B4C project adapted a Design-Based Collaborative Research approach to strengthen the evidence base of its learning activities, pilot projects and practical biochar applications. While Design-Based Collaborative Learning focuses mainly on how participants learn through collaboration and practical project development, Design-Based Collaborative Research adds a stronger research dimension: learners, trainers and stakeholders do not only develop ideas, but also investigate, test, observe, document and refine them.
The B4C STEM approach uses biochar and the Circular Carbon Economy as a practical learning field across different school and vocational subjects. Learners explore how residual biomass can be transformed into biochar, how biochar can be used in soil, water, construction or regional carbon management, and how scientific evidence, data and social decisions are needed to make sustainable solutions work.
This module introduces the Circular Carbon Management System and the CASCADE Biochar Handprint Tool as practical instruments for exploring biochar-based Circular Carbon Economy ideas.