Corporate offtake purchases for biochar-based carbon credits increased by 79% year-on-year in the first half of 2026, reaching 3.17 million tonnes, according to a Sylvera market report. The aggregate value of these contracts surged by 80% to over $800 million from $448 million. This growth occurred as overall voluntary carbon market retirements declined by 9% to 89.26 million tonnes, reflecting a 'volume versus value' dynamic. The report indicates corporate buyers are prioritising high-quality, durable carbon dioxide removal technologies like biochar due to rising integrity standards and a supply-demand mismatch for premium credits. This shift is driven by the need to meet rigorous net-zero compliance standards and mitigate reputational risks associated with lower-rated avoidance credits.
The Carbon Business Council published an issue brief, 'Direct Storage of Biomass: Assessing the Carbon Removal Opportunity,' outlining a framework for deploying biomass storage technologies. The brief, developed by the Direct Storage of Biomass Coalition, proposes using existing supply chains to collect and permanently inter organic matter in engineered facilities. This method aims to prevent decomposition and sequester plant-sequestered carbon for centuries without intensive chemical refining. The coalition suggests this approach could sequester 55 to 115 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually from American forestry residues alone, offering a low-cost climate solution and revenue diversification for rural communities.
The Rural Municipality of Ritchot, Manitoba, and Carbon Lock Tech signed a Memorandum of Understanding to divert organic municipal waste into biocarbon pellets. This partnership, spearheaded by Mayor Chris Ewen and CEO Kevin Danner, will use Carbon Lock Tech's pyrolytic reactor system to process biomass at the St. Adolphe landfill, starting this summer. The initiative aims to extend the landfill's operational lifespan and generate revenue through the sale of biocarbon pellets to industries and high-quality carbon dioxide removal credits to international corporations.
Verra published a minor revision (v1.1) to its VM0051 Improved Management in Rice Production Systems methodology on 14 July 2026. The update clarifies requirements, aligns with VCS Programme v5 rules, and refines guidance for project area stratification and quantification. VM0051, v1.1 also introduces guidance for expert recommendations on soil organic carbon safeguards and updates the sectoral scope to 15: Agriculture. Projects requesting registration or crediting period renewal after 1 August 2027 must use the new version, while existing projects can continue with v1.0 until their next crediting period renewal. Verra has submitted the revised methodology for assessment under the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market's Core Carbon Principles.
The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) stated that Core Carbon Principles (CCPs) and carbon credit ratings are complementary tools for market integrity. According to Sylvera, 76% of CCP projects in 2026 achieved a rating of BBB or above, compared to 13% of non-CCP projects. Since mid-2024, the MSCI Global CCP Carbon Credit Price Index has maintained an average 19% premium over the broader MSCI Global Carbon Credit Price Index. MSCI data also showed that retirements of credits from CCP-Approved methodologies grew by over 100% in 2025, while BeZero data indicated that the share of retirements rated 'A' or higher more than doubled since 2022.
Google has signed an agreement with Commonwealth Sortation, an affiliate of AMP Robotics Corporation, to purchase 200,000 biochar-related carbon removal credits. The transaction is structured for completion by 2030, expanding Google's carbon offsets portfolio. This procurement aims to neutralise greenhouse gas emissions from Google's global operations and data centres. The deal provides Commonwealth Sortation with predictable revenue to scale its AI-powered waste sorting and biochar production technologies, addressing the need for high-volume carbon removal options in voluntary carbon markets.
Microsoft's 2026 Environmental Sustainability Report revealed a 25% increase in total greenhouse gas emissions, reaching 20.3 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent in fiscal year 2025, primarily due to AI infrastructure expansion. Scope 3 emissions, largely from data centre construction materials, constituted 85.82% of its footprint. Despite this, the company maintained its carbon-negative by 2030 goal and secured contracts for over 45 million metric tons of carbon removal across 29 projects in 2025. This includes investments in Direct Air Capture, biochar, and enhanced rock weathering, alongside efforts to pilot low-carbon materials and expand its clean energy portfolio.
A DataM Intelligence report forecasts the carbon removal technology market will grow from $840.82 million in 2025 to $2,494.42 million by 2035, representing a 14.59% compound annual growth rate. This expansion is driven by corporate net-zero targets, strategic acquisitions, and supportive regulatory frameworks. Technological scaling and cost optimisation are identified as primary challenges, with engineered solutions like Direct Air Capture (DAC) systems holding a 48% share of project scale. North America leads the market with a 39% share, supported by large-scale DAC deployments and corporate purchasing. Key acquisitions by companies such as Climeworks, SLB, and Microsoft are consolidating the industry.
Beston Group published an industry analysis outlining the strategic integration of pyrolysis technology to manage escalating global forest wildfires, which burned 13.5 million hectares in 2024. The analysis proposes converting hazardous forest biomass into stable biochar using fixed and mobile pyrolysis systems. This approach aims to mitigate wildfire risks and enable forest management agencies to participate in the voluntary carbon market by generating high-premium carbon removal credits. The company states that converting thinning residues into certified biochar, which averaged $164 per tonne in 2025, can offset forest cleanup expenses.
Verra has launched a public consultation, running from 10 July to 10 August 2026, on a significant revision to its VM0043 methodology for CO2 utilisation in concrete production. The proposed updates, which would result in VM0043, v2.0, include expanding eligible project activities such as using supplementary cementitious materials and CO2 mineralisation into recycled concrete aggregate. The revision also introduces new calculations for natural carbonation and updates the cement displacement factor from 30% to 6.5%. CarbonCure Technologies sponsored the methodology revision, with 3Degrees also contributing technically. This update aims to refine how projects quantify emission reductions from embedding waste CO2 in concrete and reducing cement use.
LongStraw Carbon has initiated a biochar-based carbon dioxide removal project in the Kalahandi district of Odisha, India, converting agricultural waste into biochar. The project aims to sequester carbon by processing rice husks and other residues through pyrolysis. This initiative also focuses on socio-economic development, creating employment opportunities for local tribal communities, particularly women, in biomass aggregation, processing, and quality assurance. It addresses both ecological degradation and rural economic instability in a region historically affected by climate vulnerability and limited industrial infrastructure.
UK law firm Shoosmiths has signed a five-year forward offtake agreement with carbon asset developer Carbonaires to purchase certified carbon dioxide removal credits. The credits will be generated by biochar producer HUSK, which operates in Cambodia and Vietnam, using agricultural residues like rice husks. Carbonaires facilitated the deal, which aims to provide Shoosmiths with a stable supply of high-integrity carbon removals to offset its residual operational footprint. This agreement addresses market challenges of price volatility and securing long-term volume commitments for corporate buyers seeking verifiable carbon sequestration.
UK law firm Shoosmiths has entered a five-year pre-purchase forward offtake agreement with Carbonaires for carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits from biochar producer HUSK. The deal secures a long-term supply of CDR to support Shoosmiths' strategy towards net zero operational emissions. Carbonaires sourced the project, conducted due diligence, structured the agreement, and will manage the CO2 removals to retirement. HUSK, a women-led biochar producer operating in Cambodia and Vietnam, generates the credits from agricultural residues, which are certified under the Global Biochar C-Sink Standard. This investment, combined with over 70% reductions in Scope 1 and market-based Scope 2 emissions, will bring Shoosmiths' net operational emissions to zero as it works towards a 2040 net zero goal.
Verra has opened a public consultation on a significant update to its cookstove methodology, VM0050, transitioning it from version 1.0 to 2.0. The consultation, running from 9 July to 10 August 2026, aims to enhance the accuracy and transparency of emission reductions from clean cooking projects. Key changes include integrating the MoFuSS – DS tool for non-renewable biomass determination, accounting for the 'Hawthorne effect' in testing, and standardising Stove Usage Monitors. This revision follows VM0050 v1.0's approval by the ICVCM in March 2025, and Verra plans to resubmit the updated framework for CCP approval. Verra is also seeking proposals for an independent expert review of the draft by 31 July 2026.
Verra has opened a public consultation for a major revision to its VM0050 cookstoves methodology, running from 9 July to 10 August 2026. The updated VM0050 v2.0 aims to enhance accuracy, transparency, and consistency in emission reduction quantification for improved cookstove projects. Key changes include integrating a MoFuSS—DS tool for non-renewable biomass determination and incorporating the Hawthorne effect into quantification procedures. Verra developed the revision with technical contributions from Wonderbag SA and Promethium Carbon, and will submit the finalised v2.0 to ICVCM for review against Core Carbon Principles. Verra is also seeking proposals for an independent expert review of the draft methodology by 31 July 2026.
Sustainable Green Team, Ltd. (SGTM) has formed a strategic partnership with a Florida-based capital group to expand its carbon-market verification platform. The agreement includes capital commitment for infrastructure, a multi-year purchase framework for SGTM products, and plans to license SGTM’s proprietary verification technology. This collaboration aims to address the supply deficit of high-quality carbon credits and biochar by increasing the availability of verifiable environmental assets. The partnership will leverage SGTM’s technology for independently verifiable environmental credit certificates, with the capital group originating and marketing the credits. This move aligns with US federal policy developments, including the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026.
Gold Standard published two new methodologies, Powering Universal Lighting via Solar Energy (PULSE) and Safe Drinking Water Supply (SDWS) v2.0, on 9 July 2026. These methodologies aim to channel climate finance to projects providing essential services to underserved communities, replacing legacy methodologies like AMS-III.AR. PULSE supports solar-powered LED lighting, while SDWS v2.0 applies to projects replacing high-emission water purification methods. Both methodologies incorporate Paris Agreement alignment principles, including falling baselines, regulatory additionality, and enhanced digital MRV systems.
Scientists from Perennial have published a peer-reviewed paper supporting digital soil mapping (DSM) as a precise and scalable method for soil carbon measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MMRV). The study, led by Alexandre Wadoux, PhD, suggests uncertainty deductions below 5% for large, long-term carbon projects, compared to typical market deductions of 15% or higher. This research aligns with Verra’s VT0014 tool and Perennial’s ATLAS-SOC model, providing an end-to-end DSM framework for quantifying soil organic carbon stock change. Simulations showed uncertainty decreased with project size and duration, achieving low uncertainty deductions at scale without proportional increases in soil sampling. This development could enhance the reliability and financial viability of soil carbon projects in the voluntary carbon market.
Singapore-based Thryve.Earth secured its first commercial carbon dioxide removal (CDR) offtake agreements, totalling over 635,000 tonnes. Google and McKinsey committed to over 335,000 tonnes over 10 years, while Tencent agreed to 300,000 tonnes over the same period. These nature-based CDR credits will come from the restoration of degraded land in Indonesia's Sulawesi region, marking Google's largest CDR offtake to date and Tencent's first nature-based offtake outside China. The project aims to restore biodiverse forests through mixed crop farming, generating income for local communities and replenishing soils. Carbon finance is critical for scaling this initiative, which builds on successful models in the region.
Verra has approved the first two insurance policies, from CarbonPool and Kita, for use in its durability pilot programme. These policies meet the pilot's criteria for addressing reversal risks in participating Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) and Geological Carbon Storage (GCS) projects. Launched in December 2025, the pilot allows projects to use either fund-based or insurance-based approaches as alternatives to the traditional pooled buffer account. Project proponents must submit an expression of interest to Verra to participate in the pilot.
Verde Resources and Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions have signed a 10-year commercial agreement for Verde Renewables to supply engineered biochar for Ergon's asphalt emulsion products in the United States. This agreement transitions an initial technology validation partnership, established in October 2025, into structured commercial deployment for cold paving infrastructure applications. The partnership aims to establish a commercial pipeline for carbon-storing infrastructure materials and includes a shared carbon credit monetization mechanism based on the biochar's verified carbon storage properties. The near-term strategy focuses on commercial field projects evaluating pavement preservation and road maintenance.
DBG Energy Limited announced plans for a $20 million industrial-scale biochar production facility in Belize, targeting completion in 2027. The facility will process 70,000 tonnes of biomass annually to produce 16,000 tonnes of biochar for domestic agriculture. The project has secured an export contract to monetise over 42,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent removal credits annually in the United States. This initiative aims to enhance crop resilience, manage invasive species, and integrate Belize into the global green economy.
Verra published a checklist for project proponents developing projects under VM0050 Energy Efficiency and Fuel-Switch Measures in Cookstoves, v1.0, and for their validation/verification bodies. The checklist details key elements Verra staff focus on during registration, verification, or joint registration-verification requests. This resource aims to help users understand the methodology and strengthen submitted documentation. Verra stated that the checklist is not exhaustive and that the VM0050, v1.0 methodology takes precedence in case of discrepancies. The organisation plans to release similar resources for other methodologies.
Be Zero, a non-profit organisation focused on methane and other short-lived climate pollutant (SLCP) reductions, has published a guide for buyers of superpollutant carbon credits. The guide aims to clarify the market for these credits, which target greenhouse gases with high global warming potentials. It outlines key considerations for purchasers, including project types, measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) standards, and additionality. This initiative seeks to increase transparency and buyer confidence in a niche but growing segment of the voluntary carbon market.
Be Zero has introduced a new service offering holistic 'beyond carbon' appraisals for voluntary carbon market projects. These appraisals aim to provide a comprehensive assessment of co-benefits and risks, moving beyond traditional carbon credit verification. The initiative seeks to enhance transparency and trust in carbon transactions by offering a more detailed project evaluation. This development responds to increasing buyer demand for greater assurance regarding the broader impacts and integrity of carbon projects.
Non-profit organisation Remove Global launched an India Accelerator Program to support early-stage carbon dioxide removal (CDR) startups. The eight-month programme provides non-dilutive financial capital, technical coaching, and network access, building on its European incubation track record. It offers a unique financial solution of a €15,000 (approximately ₹15 lakh) purchase agreement or recoverable grant, ensuring founders retain at least 70 percent company ownership. The initiative aims to establish India as a hub for high-integrity atmospheric carbon sequestration and connect local innovators with global CDR markets and buyers.
Alejandro Castilla, business development professional at ecoLocked, highlighted the importance of trust and collaboration in scaling the biochar industry during the Biochar Summit 2026. Castilla, who works on bridging biochar production, carbon removal, and the construction industry, emphasised biochar's role in gigaton-scale decarbonisation. He noted that successful biochar projects prioritise partnerships across the value chain, from biomass sourcing to end-use applications. Castilla is expanding his work into Latin America, focusing on connecting innovation with market adoption.
The International Biochar Initiative (IBI) released its 2025 Global Biochar Market Report, indicating global biochar production reached 520,810 metric tonnes in 2025, a nearly threefold increase from 180,150 metric tonnes in 2023. Gross revenues for commercial producers rose from $47 million to $245 million over the same period, with implied revenue per tonne almost doubling to $543. The report, based on data from 930 stakeholders across 96 countries, notes a shift in production leadership to Asia, with Africa showing the fastest regional growth. Despite this expansion, the industry faces challenges including low awareness, insufficient market demand, and limited access to capital. Carbon finance mechanisms and integration into high-value manufacturing are helping to formalise market dynamics and diversify cash flows.
The Government of Misiones, Argentina, has officially adopted a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Verra to support the province's engagement in carbon markets. Under the MOU, Verra will provide capacity-building, knowledge-sharing, and training on topics including the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Programme, Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ (JNR) Framework, and Article 6.2. This agreement follows Verra's recent approval of Misiones' government-led forest carbon programme, the first at a jurisdictional scale. The collaboration aims to strengthen Misiones' technical and institutional capacities, promoting forest conservation and generating local benefits.
GreenPlinth Africa and the Lagos State Government have initiated a nationwide clean cooking programme in Nigeria, aiming to distribute 80 million efficient cookstoves. Lagos State will provide 6 million stoves free of charge, with distribution beginning in June 2025 in the Makoko community. The programme, endorsed by the Federal Government, projects annual carbon credit revenues of up to $5 billion at full implementation. It targets over 167 million Nigerians who rely on traditional solid fuels, aligning with UN Article 6.4 mechanisms for monitoring and verification.
The International Carbon Registry (iCR) has outlined its 'integrity stack' approach, integrating third-party ratings and risk assessments into its programme requirements. This framework combines iCR's foundational rulebook with three independent pillars: ISO 14065 validation and verification, MSCI Carbon Project Ratings, and Kita risk assessments. The iCR registry serves as the digital home, tracking credit issuance, transfer, and retirement. This system aims to provide a comprehensive, multi-faceted view of carbon credit quality and risk for buyers, with each pillar carried out by independent parties.
Gold Standard has approved the Sovereign Corresponding Adjustment Revocation & Enforced Withdrawal (SCREW) policy from Blenheim Partnerships Limited, making it the fifth insurance policy eligible for Gold Standard Verified Emission Reductions (GS-VERs) under CORSIA. This marks the entry of the first traditional political risk insurer into the CORSIA market, following an independent assessment by Howden. The approval is expected to increase insurance capacity for projects supplying credits to CORSIA, where demand currently outstrips supply in the first phase. Since October 2025, three project developers in Rwanda and Tanzania have used insurance to secure CORSIA-eligible credit labelling.
The European carbon registry Rainbow has updated its Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) methodology to version 1.1, integrating criteria from the European Union’s Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming (CRCF) regulation. This update, which includes revised baseline scope, expanded risk mitigation triggers, and stricter third-party verification for projects issuing over 5,000 credits annually, aims to ensure interoperability and market compliance. By aligning with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/285, Rainbow seeks to streamline project development and credit issuance for European biochar and BioCCS installations. This move addresses market fragmentation and strengthens transparency, supporting the registry's recent Core Carbon Principles eligibility.
The UNFCCC secretariat hosted a REDD+ Global Summit in Nairobi in May 2026, gathering nearly 100 participants from 59 countries, four donor nations, 13 international organisations, and three civil society groups. The summit aimed to discuss opportunities and challenges in accessing REDD+ finance but concluded with a 'forward-looking sentiment' focused on future improvements. Critics argue the meeting failed to address REDD+'s ineffectiveness in halting deforestation, which saw 4.3 million hectares of tropical primary forest lost in 2025. The summary report omitted discussions on fossil fuels, the climate crisis, or the use of REDD+ credits by polluters to legitimise continued emissions.
Verra will issue at least 20 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in carbon credits to three Indonesian forestry projects, following their approval under the country's updated carbon market regulations. The Katingan Peatland Restoration and Conservation Project, the Sumatra Merang Peatland Project, and The Mayas Project have all secured the necessary Ministry of Forestry approvals. This initiative marks the first credit issuance under Indonesia's operational national carbon market, combining Verra's crediting programme with the country's domestic oversight. Indonesia will track these credits via its national registry, with Verra and the Ministry of Forestry developing an API for data sharing.
Cold Steppe has completed construction and commissioning of a $15 million industrial-scale biochar facility in Stuttgart, Arkansas. The plant currently processes 20,000 tonnes of rice hulls annually to produce 10,000 tonnes of biochar, with plans to double capacity by the end of 2026. This facility addresses the challenge of commercialising high-silica rice hulls, an abundant agricultural byproduct in the region. The biochar produced is intended to enhance local agricultural soils by improving moisture retention and fertiliser efficiency, creating a closed-loop regional economy and generating carbon removal credits.
Google's 2026 Environmental Report revealed an 18 per cent increase in its total greenhouse gas footprint, driven by a 25 per cent surge in supply chain and technical infrastructure emissions due to AI buildout. To address this, Google contracted 1.38 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent removals, integrating biochar into its portfolio for permanent carbon isolation. The company also secured over 12 gigawatts of new clean energy in 2025 and mandated 100 per cent clean electricity for key hardware suppliers by 2029. This strategy aims to mitigate emissions from its 37 per cent year-over-year increase in data centre electricity load. Google's move signals the growing corporate reliance on engineered durable carbon removal amidst rapid technological expansion.
Mast Reforestation has sold all 4,277 carbon removal credits from its pilot biomass burial project, Mast Wood Preserve MT1, within six weeks of issuance. Buyers included Bain & Company and the Royal Bank of Canada, securing multi-year acquisition agreements. The project involved burying ten million pounds of fire-damaged logs in subterranean repositories to prevent atmospheric greenhouse gas release. Verified by Puro.earth and rated by BeZero Carbon, the sales fully financed ponderosa pine planting across 125 acres of burned land. The company plans to expand its capacity to 150,000 tonnes annually.
DBG Energy announced the development of the Belize River Valley Biochar Project, an industrial-scale carbon removal and agricultural infrastructure facility in Belize. This project introduces a continuous-process manufacturing operation designed to achieve high-volume, verifiable carbon dioxide removal. The initiative addresses challenges of scale, permanence, and supply control within the carbon dioxide removal sector by integrating a dedicated biomass feedstock programme with thermochemical conversion infrastructure. The facility aims to generate certified, durable carbon removal credits for institutional markets and produce high-value biochar for soil enhancement, with the resulting biochar supplied to domestic agricultural producers and global export markets.
Stellar Green Co. and Sylvera have launched an initiative to evaluate the quality of Japan's forest J-Credits. This partnership aims to re-examine the domestic J-Credit system through a global lens, providing credit-purchasing companies with a framework to explain credit quality to stakeholders. The initiative will not publish individual project evaluations but will explore 'explainable quality' by considering Japan's forest management practices and institutional context against global standards. This development responds to increasing demands for accountability and transparency in corporate carbon credit procurement.