Biogenic CO2 refers to emissions of carbon dioxide from biological origin (e.g., plants) as opposed to CO2 emissions from fossil fuels.

Biogenic CO2 emissions are often referred as ‘short-cycle’ carbon as they are derived from the biosphere, not geological reserves (e.g. in fossil fuels) which form over thousands of years. Because of their biogenic origin, CO2 emissions from biomass fuels (such as wood, crop residues) are treated differently from fossil fuel combustion emissions and reported separately.