The agreement, established between Google and the Indian supplier Varaha, marks one of the largest transactions involving biochar to date and represents Google's initial entry into India's carbon dioxide removal (CDR) market.
As part of a broader trend, Google joins several major technology firms aiming to mitigate emissions through CDR, which encompasses various strategies designed to eliminate CO2 already present in the atmosphere and oceans.
While some innovators are exploring costly new technologies for direct air capture of CO2, biochar presents a potentially more affordable and immediate solution.
"Biochar is a promising method for carbon removal due to its scalability, reliance on existing technology, and beneficial effects on soil health," stated Randy Spock, Google's lead on carbon removal initiatives.
Varaha plans to source waste from numerous smallholder farms across India and construct reactors to convert this waste into biochar, which can sequester CO2 for centuries. Additionally, it will be offered to farmers as a substitute for traditional fertilizers.
Google's commitment includes the purchase of 100,000 tons of carbon credits from now until 2030. Madhur Jain, Varaha's CEO, indicated that there is significant potential for rapid expansion, with agricultural waste in India capable of producing enough biochar to sequester over 100 million tons of CO2 annually.
Although CDR currently represents a small portion of the global carbon trading market, it is anticipated to expand swiftly as nations and businesses seek innovative methods to offset their emissions.
Nonetheless, some critics argue that CDR cannot replace the necessity for emission reductions and caution that methods like biochar do not guarantee permanent CO2 removal.
"We are going to face peak warming," said Jain. "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."