Google has announced its largest carbon removal agreement to date, partnering with climate technology firm Terradot to execute a megaton-scale decarbonisation project across rice farms in southern Brazil.
Under the agreement, Google will purchase 1 million metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent in methane abatement by 2030, alongside 1 million metric tonnes of permanent carbon removal by 2040. The initiative represents the first project of this scale to integrate immediate superpollutant elimination with permanent carbon removal within a single agricultural system.
The project deploys two complementary interventions across more than 200,000 hectares of farmland. To achieve near-term methane reductions, Terradot will implement Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), an irrigation technique that periodically drains flooded rice paddies to inhibit methane-producing bacteria. Concurrently, crushed volcanic rock will be applied to the same fields to facilitate Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW), a process that permanently captures atmospheric CO2 as the silicate minerals dissolve.
Key operational metrics and strategic elements include:
- Procurement breakdown: Acquisition of 1 million tonnes CO2e (GWP 20) in short-term methane reductions by 2030, coupled with 1 million tonnes of durable ERW carbon removal by 2040.
- Agricultural scope: Implementation across 200,000 hectares in southern Brazil, leveraging nearby basalt quarries and optimal tropical climate conditions to accelerate weathering rates.
- Agronomic co-benefits: AWD lowers water consumption and input costs for local growers, while crushed rock applications enhance soil mineral health.
- Global research support: Google is additionally funding global research to evaluate the methane-reduction efficiency of AWD across international rice production systems.
The partnership operationalises the dual-impact strategy outlined in Google’s 2026 Environmental Report, combining short-term superpollutant mitigation with long-term carbon dioxide removal to deliver sustained cooling across all time horizons.
