Global biochar output nearly triples in two years as carbon credit buyers seek durable removals

Global biochar production has nearly tripled over the past two years and is projected to surpass 9 million tonnes annually by the end of the decade, according to a new market report cited by Carbon Pulse. The growth reflects a shift from small scale and experimental deployments toward large scale commercial production as demand for durable carbon removal credits accelerates. Biochar, which is produced by heating organic material in low oxygen conditions and can lock carbon into a stable form for centuries, has become one of the more credible options in the engineered removals space.

The expansion of biochar supply is happening alongside broader diversification in the carbon removal market. Microsoft recently announced a multi year carbon removal deal with India based climate tech startup Alt Carbon involving enhanced rock weathering, another category of durable removal. The parallel growth of different removal technologies reflects a market dynamic in which large corporate buyers are seeking a portfolio of removal types rather than concentrating procurement in any single method.

For ESG managers and sustainability consultants advising companies on net zero strategy, the scaling of biochar and other removal technologies changes the credibility calculus around residual emissions offsetting. For years, the lack of sufficient durable removal supply was a legitimate reason why companies relied on nature based credits of variable quality. A market producing tens of millions of tonnes of verifiable, high permanence biochar annually removes that justification and raises expectations for what a credible net zero claim requires.

The carbon credit quality question is also being addressed at the infrastructure level. Singapore signed cooperation agreements this week with Verra and Gold Standard, the two largest voluntary carbon market standards, to expand the city state's role in project validation and verification. Greater verification capacity globally should help scale the supply of credits that meet institutional grade standards, which in turn supports the expansion of markets for technologies like biochar.

Buyers considering biochar credits should note that the market is still establishing consistent methodological norms across different production feedstocks and regional contexts. The volume growth documented in the new report is significant, but procurement teams should ensure that credits they purchase are validated under recognised standards and carry clear documentation of feedstock origin, production conditions, and permanence assurances before integrating them into scope 3 or residual emissions strategies.