Verra has officially registered the first project using the VM0044 Methodology for Biochar Utilisation in Soil and Non-Soil Applications (v1.1) under the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Programme, marking a significant step forward in the development of biochar projects as a scalable solution for carbon dioxide removal.
The project, titled Project Reignite: Turning Farm Waste into Climate Action (Verra Project ID 4679), is based in Odisha, India, and developed by Together for Restoration. It collaborates with rural farmers to halt the open burning of agricultural waste, instead converting the waste into biochar. The biochar is then applied to the farms as a soil amendment, improving soil quality while capturing carbon.
By utilising the VM0044 methodology, the project quantifies the emissions it prevents by converting waste into biochar, enabling the issuance of carbon credits. The revenue generated from selling these credits helps sustain and expand the project’s operations.
Verra is currently working on revising VM0044 to enhance its usability and broaden its scope, with a public consultation on the draft revision expected in the coming months.
Biochar, a carbon-rich material produced from biomass in high-heat, low-oxygen environments, can sequester organic carbon for centuries to millennia. When applied globally at scale, biochar has the potential to remove over 1 billion tonnes of CO2 annually by 2050, offering a promising near-term solution to combat climate change.