Heaptalk, Jakarta — Google announced its latest initiative to scale biochar as a carbon removal offtake through collaboration with Varaha, an Indian startup, and Charm, the US startup.
The tech giant will purchase 100,000 tons of biochar carbon removal from each company by 2030, the largest biochar carbon removal deal to date. “These deals will enable 200,000 tons of carbon removal to help Google achieve our net zero emissions goal — and help catalyze biochar production toward a scale that can help the planet mitigate climate change,” stated Randy Spock, Carbon Removal Lead at Google.
The biochar adds to Google’s growing toolkit for carbon removal, which supports rock weathering and direct air capture. Spock said this material also complements the company’s carbon removal field through Frontier and Symbiosis.
Established in 2022, Varaha is headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana. The startup runs multiple carbon removal projects in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. The projects include regenerative agriculture in Indo-Gangetic Plains in India, afforestation in Nepal, afforestation in Bangladesh, durable carbon removal using artisanal biochar in India, regenerative agriculture in Gujarat, afforestation in Southern India, and enhanced rock weathering in Madhya Pradesh.
Charm Industrial, founded in 2017, is headquartered in San Francisco, California. The startup completed its first carbon removal injection through bio-oil in 2020. “Biochar will now play a key supporting role in Charm’s production model: enhancing total carbon removed, maintaining nutrient availability for new biological growth, improving soil health, and improving hydrology,” concluded Harris Cohn, Head of Sales at Charm Industrial.
