From May 4-6, 2015 representatives from science and industry meet in Tartu, Estonia, to discuss ways of using biochars as substitute for peat based culture media. The workshop on "Opportunities for using biochar in synergy with peat as constituents of growing media" is part of the EU COST Action TD1107 and organized by the working group "Environmental impact assessment" under the leadership of Dr. Jürgen Kern together with the University of Tartu. 

The workshop targets at conveying the state of research on product requirements of substitutes for growing media and to develop innovative biochar based substrates for horticulture. The long-term aim is to reduce the pressure on the remaining peat deposits, e.g in the Baltic States, and to contribute to mitigate climate change.

Core task of Working Group 4 is the environmental impact assessment. It will apply meta-analysis tools to compare different Biochar systems' effects across Europe's soil types, agro-ecosystems and climate regimes. 

A further aspect of Working Group 4 is the potential of biochar materials to substitute culture media deriving from peatlands. Peatlands, which can be found over a wide area, for example in the Baltic countries, may be preserved if the high pressure on these carbon rich ecosystems will be reduced. The application of biochar to soils, however, means an irreversible modification, which also may have drawbacks, such as the accumulation of organic and inorganic toxic compounds. Therefore, more research and information are needed about the ecotoxicological effects of Biochars on the soil biota as well as standardized testing procedures to characterize Biochars before they are applied.