The Growing Role of Biochar in Carbon Removal

Voluntary carbon markets are evolving, and so are buyer expectations. As scrutiny around offset quality increases, companies are paying closer attention to how carbon removal is delivered, measured, and verified. Biochar carbon credits have gained relevance within this shift, offering a form of removal that combines durability with practical deployment.

Market Trends and Demand for Biochar Carbon Credits

Growing Demand for Durable Carbon Removal

The market for biochar carbon credits has grown quickly over the past few years, positioning biochar as a credible option within the carbon removal space. Corporate climate commitments are becoming more specific, and buyers are increasingly prioritizing solutions that offer durability and transparent carbon accounting. In this context, biochar is often viewed differently from nature-based offsets, some of which have faced integrity concerns.

Biochar’s more engineered approach, combined with measurable and long-term carbon storage, appeals to companies seeking confidence and permanence. As a result, voluntary market demand for biochar credits has increased rapidly as organizations look for removal options that can be clearly accounted for and verified.

Delivery Volumes and Market Readiness

Biochar’s role in the market is also reflected in delivery data. Biochar accounts for the majority of carbon dioxide removal tonnes that have actually been delivered to date. In the first half of 2025, Biochar Carbon Removal continued to lead the market, representing 89.4 percent of delivered durable carbon removal in Q2 .

This places biochar well ahead of direct air capture, BECCS, and other removal approaches that are still scaling. A key factor is readiness. Biochar projects can be deployed today, while many other CDR technologies remain at the pilot or early demonstration stage.

Buyer Profile and Purchasing Patterns

Demand for biochar carbon credits is driven primarily by companies and institutions with long-term climate commitments. These buyers are typically focused on net-zero targets and are looking for durable carbon removal that can be delivered in the near term. While the buyer base has expanded, a relatively small group of large purchasers continues to account for a significant share of total volume, reflecting early-stage market dynamics.

At the same time, participation is widening. Alongside large corporates and financial institutions with mature climate strategies, more companies are entering the market through pilot purchases. Biochar’s availability in smaller volumes and its lower cost compared to other durable removal options make it a practical starting point for organizations beginning to engage with carbon removal.

Key Benefits of Biochar Carbon Credits

Long-term carbon storage and permanence

One of the most important advantages of biochar is the durability of its carbon storage. During pyrolysis, carbon is converted into a stable solid form that resists natural decomposition. Once applied to soils or used in materials, this carbon can remain stored for centuries or longer. Historical evidence from ancient agricultural practices shows that biochar applied thousands of years ago still retains much of its carbon today. For buyers, this means a low risk of reversal compared to many traditional offsets.

Immediate carbon removal impact

Biochar delivers carbon removal at the moment it is produced. When biomass is converted into biochar, most of the carbon is immediately stabilized and removed from the active carbon cycle. This differs from tree planting or ecosystem restoration projects, where carbon uptake happens gradually over many years. It also differs from emission avoidance credits, which only prevent future emissions. With biochar, the climate impact is realized right away.

Cost-effective durable carbon removal

Biochar Carbon Removal is considered one of the more cost-competitive options among durable carbon removal pathways. Production relies on waste biomass and relatively straightforward processes rather than highly complex or energy-intensive systems. This allows biochar credits to be priced lower than many engineered removal options while still offering strong durability. For buyers, this makes biochar accessible without compromising on permanence.

Scalable and proven technology

The technology behind biochar is well established. Pyrolysis is a robust process that has been used in various forms for centuries, including traditional charcoal production. Biochar systems are modular and can operate at different scales, from small on-farm kilns to industrial facilities. This flexibility supports faster deployment across regions and use cases. As a result, biochar can scale more quickly than many emerging CDR technologies.

Environmental and social co-benefits

Biochar projects often deliver tangible environmental and social benefits beyond carbon removal. These can include improved soil health, support for farmers, better waste management, and new uses in low-carbon materials. While these co-benefits are not monetized within the credit itself, they are valued by buyers and investors. The connection to real-world outcomes helps differentiate biochar from more purely technical removal approaches.

Improving confidence in credit quality

Confidence in biochar credit quality has increased in recent years. Methodology approvals and independent assessments have clarified standards and strengthened market trust. Ratings and integrity benchmarks have helped address earlier skepticism and provide reassurance to buyers. This progress has made biochar more accessible to corporate sustainability teams that require strong third-party validation before purchasing carbon removal credits.

How Biochar Carbon Credits Are Assessed and Verified

At a high level, biochar carbon credits follow a standardized crediting process like most carbon credits. The process is built around methodologies, MRV, and third-party verification.

The process typically includes five stages:

1. Methodology and eligibility
2. Baseline and additionality assessment
3. Measurement of biochar quality and permanence
4. Monitoring across the biochar value chain (MRV)
5. Third-party verification and credit issuance

What differs is how carbon is measured, stored, and assessed for permanence within that framework. Below is how each stage works in practice.

Registries and Standards for Biochar Carbon Credits

Biochar carbon credits can be issued under several established carbon credit registries and standards. These registries follow a broadly similar crediting framework, but they differ in how they model permanence, structure methodologies, and issue credits. For buyers, this means biochar credits are available through multiple credible channels, with some variation in approach.

Key registries active in biochar crediting include:

• Verra: One of the largest voluntary carbon market registries, with a dedicated biochar methodology under its Verified Carbon Standard. Verra follows a conservative, registry-style approach aligned with broader offset markets.
• Climate Action Reserve: A North American registry with a biochar protocol focused on rigor and potential future compliance relevance, particularly for projects and buyers in the U.S. and Canada.
• Puro.earth: A carbon removal–focused platform and registry that pioneered biochar crediting early on. Puro emphasizes durability, project-level data, and relatively fast issuance of removal certificates.
• Isometric: A newer registry specializing in carbon removal, known for its digital MRV systems and use of advanced analytical methods to assess long-term carbon stability.
• European Biochar Certificate: A long-standing European standard focused on biochar quality and stable carbon content. While not always used alone for tradable credits, it often complements other registries by certifying the biochar itself.

Key differences in approach:

• Permanence time horizon: Some methodologies focus on carbon retained over a 100-year timeframe, in line with common voluntary market conventions. Others assess longer time horizons, such as several centuries or more, while applying conservative discounts to account for uncertainty.
• Credit units and labeling: Registries vary in how credits are issued, with some providing standardized removal credits and others issuing certificates that explicitly label durability and vintage.
• Issuance timing: Approaches also differ in when credits are issued, ranging from ex-post issuance after delivery and verification to longer monitoring and reporting cycles.

Despite these differences, all major standards require robust MRV, conservative assumptions, and independent verification. Biochar credits issued under these frameworks are consistently categorized as carbon removal rather than emission avoidance.

Conclusion

Biochar carbon credits are now a well-established part of the voluntary carbon market. They offer a combination of durability, near-term delivery, and practical scalability that appeals to buyers looking to move beyond short-lived offsets, without relying solely on emerging high-cost technologies.

At the same time, biochar is not a replacement for other climate solutions. Nature-based offsets, biochar, and direct air capture each address different aspects of the carbon challenge and operate on different timelines. In practice, most companies build portfolios that reflect this mix, balancing cost, risk, and durability.

CnerG works across multiple registries and carbon credit standards to help buyers navigate these choices and access biochar credits that fit their specific requirements.