Turning Organic Waste into Carbon Credits: How Biochar Meets Global Standards

Biochar is far more than a soil amendment. It is a scalable climate technology — one that converts agricultural and organic waste into a durable carbon sink. For businesses in China, where organic waste streams are vast and underutilized, biochar offers a dual opportunity: reduce emissions and generate carbon revenue.

This article explains how biochar fits into international carbon standards, what carbon markets look for, and how companies can participate in this rapidly growing sector.

Why Biochar Earns Carbon Credits

Biochar is produced by heating biomass (such as crop residues, wood waste, and food industry byproducts) in a low-oxygen environment. This process stabilizes carbon into a solid form that can persist in soils and building materials for centuries.

Unlike composting or landfilling — which release CO₂ or methane — biochar locks carbon away, creating a measurable climate benefit. This stored carbon becomes a verified carbon credit when the process, feedstock, emissions, and end-use are documented and audited under a recognized standard.

For businesses in China, the benefits are immediate:

✔ Waste management: converts waste into a valuable input

✔ New revenue streams: generates carbon credits for sale

✔ Sustainability positioning: aligns with China’s carbon neutrality goals

Biochar granules enriching soil and sequestering carbon

The Carbon Credit Standards That Recognize Biochar

Puro.earth (Puro Standard – Biochar)

What it issues: CORCs (CO₂ Removal Certificates), created the moment biochar is placed into a proven long-term storage use.

Permanence target: ≥100 yearsUnique strengths:

• Credits issued at the first durable end-use, not just at production

• Explicit leakage and uncertainty accounting following ISO principles

• Global eligibility, including soil and non-soil uses (with safeguards)

• Edition 2025 V1 adds stricter biomass rules, chain-of-custody, and engineered control of pyrolysis gases

Best fit for: industrial producers with traceable supply chains

Carbon Standards International (CSI – Global C-Sink Standards)

What it issues: C-Sink units via the Global C-Sink Registry

Three pathways relevant to biochar:

• Global Biochar C-Sink (V3) — industrial scale, dMRV + PAC tracking

• Global Artisan C-Sink (V2.1A) — smallholder/low-tech kilns, social safeguards, restricted export

• Global Construction C-Sink — carbon locked into buildings ≥60 years

Unique strengths:

• Uses aromatic carbon permanence (PAC) as a geological sink metric

• Strict feedstock sourcing + methane compensation requirements

• GPS/dMRV tracking to final application, especially for smallholders

Best fit for: both large-scale and smallholder projects, particularly where social value matters

Isometric (Biochar Production & Storage Protocol)

What it issues: Isometric registry credits (CDR only)

Permanence options: 200–1,000 year claims

Unique strengths:

• Only standard allowing 1,000-year permanence via random reflectance (R⁰) testing

• Approved under ICVCM’s CCP label, giving buyers high confidence

• Digital MRV platform (Certify) for faster listing-to-issuance cycles (~90 days)

Best fit for: advanced projects targeting premium long-duration credits

Verified Carbon Standard (Verra – VCS VM0044)

What it issues: VCUs (Verified Carbon Units)

Permanence model: 100-year accounting

Unique strengths:

• Biochar must be applied within 1 year of production

• Soil uses require H ≤ 0.7 and contaminant compliance

• Expands to durable industrial uses (cement, asphalt) for high-tech producers

Best fit for: projects selling into large corporate offset portfolios

Gold Standard (GS4GG – Under Development)

Current status: Dedicated “Sustainable Biochar” methodology in development (NMC 110)

Focus: Strong social and environmental co-benefits, beyond carbon value

Best fit for: Future-fit projects emphasizing SDGs, community impact

Climate Action Reserve (CAR – U.S. & Canada)

What it issues: CRTs (Climate Reserve Tonnes)Unique strengths:

• Clear, standardized verification for North America

• Soil and non-soil storage pathways

• Strict ISO-aligned monitoring and environmental safeguards

Best fit for: projects operating in North America or selling into U.S. buyers

Standard	Perm. Claim	Soil + Non-Soil	End-Use Timing	Smallholder Pathway	Premium Durability
Puro.earth	100+ years	Yes	At first durable use	No	No
CSI	Geological PAC	Yes	Verified application	Yes	No
Isometric	200–1,000 years	Yes	Flexible	Limited	Yes (reflectance)
Verra (VCS)	100 years	Yes	Within 1 year	No	No
Gold Standard	Pending	Pending	Pending	Strong SD impact	TBD
CAR	100 years	Yes	Varies by use	No	No

Industrial pyrolysis unit converting organic waste into biochar

What Standards Mean for Chinese Biochar Projects

To sell credits internationally, a Chinese project must prove:

1. Verified feedstock sourcing

2. Low-emission pyrolysis with methane control

3. Traceable movement from factory to end-use

4. Lab-tested permanence + contaminant checks

5. Eligible soil or non-soil storage pathway

   
   

Projects that meet these criteria gain:

• Global buyer access

• Stronger price premiums

• Higher credibility with investors and regulators

How Businesses Can Generate Biochar Carbon Credits

If you manage organic waste in China, here’s how to participate:

1. Identify eligible biomass: Agricultural waste, wood residues, food manufacturing byproducts, etc.

2. Select appropriate pyrolysis technology: Continuous systems for industrial scale; Kon-Tiki for smallholder pathways (CSI Artisan).

3. Design a carbon accounting + MRV system: Sampling, feedstock logs, fuel use, energy balance, lab tests, CH₄ quantification, dMRV tools.

4. Register under the right standard: Choose based on scale, supply chain, product end-use, and desired market.

5. Issue and sell credits: Connect to corporate buyers seeking high-integrity removals and long-duration storage.

6. Collaborate with stakeholders: Engage local farmers, government agencies, and NGOs to build sustainable supply chains and community support.

Why This Matters for China’s Climate Future

Biochar carbon credits directly support national climate priorities:

🇨🇳 Carbon neutrality targets

🌱 Rural revitalization and soil improvement

🚯 Waste diversion from landfills and open burning

💰 New revenue for farmers, waste processors, and industry

As China scales climate markets, biochar will become one of the country’s most strategic waste-to-carbon opportunities.

The Bottom Line

Biochar turns organic waste into a durable climate asset.Carbon standards turn that asset into tradeable, verifiable revenue. As China accelerates its carbon credit ecosystem, early adopters will define the market. Greenchar’s mission is to lead this transformation — helping waste managers, manufacturers, and farmers unlock biochar’s full climate and economic value.

The opportunity is here. The standards are clear. Now it’s time to build a greener economy — one carbon credit at a time. Reach out to us at hello@greenchar.co.