- Market Milestone: Sylvera launches its first durable carbon dioxide removal (CDR) ratings, focusing on biochar projects.
- Industry Validation: New Biochar Ratings Framework addresses lifecycle and leakage challenges in the carbon market.
- Big Players Onboard: Microsoft, Google, and Swiss Re are investing in biochar-based carbon credits.
Biochar is emerging as a powerful carbon removal solution, capable of locking away carbon for centuries while enhancing soil fertility. Sylvera’s new ratings provide critical validation for biochar projects, ensuring transparency and quality in the fast-growing carbon credit market.
The details:
Biochar is produced by heating biomass—like forest residue and crop waste—in low-oxygen environments. The process creates a stable form of carbon that, when buried in soil, can sequester carbon for hundreds of years.
Market context:
- Biochar projects contributed over 90% of all issued carbon credits from removal projects in 2023, pushing the market to a $600 million valuation.
- Market leaders, including Microsoft, Google, and Swiss Re, have inked large-scale purchase agreements for biochar-based carbon credits.
Related Article: Chestnut Carbon Secures $160M to Expand U.S. Afforestation Projects and Carbon Removal Efforts
Challenges remain:
While biochar holds promise, Sylvera’s Biochar Ratings Framework aims to address key risks:
- Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA): Evaluating the full environmental impact of biochar projects.
- Leakage assessment: Preventing unintended fossil fuel demand driven by increased biochar production.
“Our Biochar Ratings Framework ensures projects meet robust criteria for carbon removal, permanence, and economic feasibility,” said Sylvera’s team.
What’s next:
The new ratings are now available on Sylvera’s platform, marking a critical step in the company’s mission to support organizations investing in high-quality carbon credits.
Looking ahead:
As the biochar market matures, Sylvera’s data-driven approach, supported by a dedicated team of internal and external experts, aims to set a benchmark for quality and trust in carbon removal projects.
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