- Major Commitment: Google will purchase 100,000 tons of carbon removal credits from India-based biochar projects by 2030.
- Innovative Solution: Biochar, produced from agricultural waste, sequesters CO2 for centuries while enhancing soil health.
- Scaling Potential: India’s agricultural waste could store over 100 million tons of CO2 annually, signaling immense growth opportunities.
Google dives into India’s carbon removal sector
Google has partnered with Indian supplier Varaha to buy 100,000 tons of carbon credits through 2030. The credits come from biochar, a charcoal-like substance produced by converting agricultural waste into a CO2-sequestering material.
A promising solution for carbon removal
Biochar offers a scalable, cost-effective way to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, contrasting with high-cost technologies like direct air capture.
“Biochar is a promising approach to carbon removal because it has the ability to scale worldwide, using existing technology, with positive side effects for soil health,” said Randy Spock, Google’s carbon removal lead.
Supporting smallholder farmers
Varaha will collect agricultural waste from hundreds of smallholder farms in India and use it to produce biochar. The biochar, which locks CO2 in the soil for centuries, will also be provided to farmers as a fertilizer alternative.
Related Article:Malaysian Carbon Exchange to Host Historic First Auction of Local Carbon Credits
A rapidly growing market
The carbon dioxide removal (CDR) market currently represents a small fraction of global carbon trading but is expected to expand as companies and countries intensify efforts to offset emissions.
Varaha’s CEO, Madhur Jain, emphasized the potential:
“India’s farms can generate enough biochar to store over 100 million tons of CO2 every year.”
Challenges remain
Critics argue that CDR is not a replacement for emission reductions and highlight uncertainties in the permanence of biochar’s CO2 storage.
“We are going to face peak warming,” Jain acknowledged. “Even if something just reduces (CO2) or removes it for only 20 to 40 or 50 years, I feel that we need to do everything that we can.”
Google’s investment underscores its commitment to exploring innovative solutions in the fight against climate change, while providing economic opportunities for smallholder farmers in India.
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