At Georgia Wood Char, we sell carbon removal credits from the biochar we make in Commerce, Georgia. People ask us about them all the time, so here is the plain-language version, with sources you can check for yourself.
One credit, one ton
A carbon credit is a certificate tied to a climate project. Each one represents one metric ton of carbon dioxide that the project kept out of the atmosphere or pulled out of it. As MIT’s Climate Portal puts it, a project can issue an offset “for each ton of CO2” it keeps out of the air (MIT Climate Portal).
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One credit, explained
- 1 creditStands for one metric ton of carbon dioxide kept out of, or taken out of, the airMIT Climate Portal
- 200+ yearsHow long Puro.earth describes biochar storing carbon, at minimumPuro.earth
- 1 serial numberEach credit is tracked on a registry, so it’s never counted twiceICVCM Core Carbon Principles
Sources cited in this post: MIT Climate Portal; Puro.earth; Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market.
How biochar locks carbon away
Trees and plants pull carbon dioxide from the air as they grow. When wood is left to rot, most of that carbon drifts back into the sky. Biochar interrupts that loop. Wood is heated with very little oxygen (a process called pyrolysis), turning much of its carbon into a stable solid. Puro.earth, which wrote the first biochar crediting methodology, describes biochar as storing carbon “for at least 200 years” (Puro.earth). That’s biochar like what we make in Commerce, Georgia. For the full story of how that carbon stays put, read why does carbon sequestration matter?.
Measured, verified, then issued
A credible credit goes through three steps. First, the carbon is measured using a published method. Second, an independent third party verifies the work. Third, a registry issues the credit with a unique serial number, so it can be tracked from issuance to retirement and never counted twice. These steps sit at the heart of the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market’s Core Carbon Principles, which call for a registry that uniquely tracks each credit, robust independent third-party verification, and no double counting.
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From biochar to a verified credit
- Carbon locked awayWood becomes biochar, holding its carbon in a stable solid.
- MeasuredThe carbon is measured using a published method.
- VerifiedAn independent third party checks the work.
- IssuedA registry issues the credit with a unique serial number.
- RetiredEach credit is tracked from issuance to retirement.
Based on the ICVCM Core Carbon Principles cited in this post.
Who buys carbon credits?
In the voluntary market, buyers are mostly companies working toward climate goals. Microsoft is one of the best known: it has committed to be carbon negative by 2030 and lists biochar among the durable removal methods it buys (Microsoft). In May 2025, biochar producer Exomad Green announced a 10-year agreement for Microsoft to buy at least 1.24 million tonnes of biochar carbon removal (Exomad Green). Market tracker CDR.fyi lists Microsoft, Google, BCG and JPMorgan as the top biochar credit buyers (CDR.fyi).
Removal versus avoidance
Avoidance credits pay for emissions that never happen, such as protecting a forest that might have been cut. Removal credits pay for carbon actually pulled out of the air and stored. Oxford’s Offsetting Principles urge organizations to shift toward removals “with durable storage (low risk of reversal)” for their remaining emissions (University of Oxford). Biochar is a removal, and a durable one.
Why durable removals cost more
Lasting removal takes real equipment, real feedstock and careful measurement. That work takes real investment, and CDR.fyi notes that early corporate buyers of durable removals have been willing to pay a premium to help the market grow (CDR.fyi).
Credits can be insured
Carbon credit insurance is a real and growing part of the market. Specialist insurers such as Kita, a Lloyd’s of London coverholder, offer policies covering risks like delivery and project failure, with claims paid in cash or replacement credits (Kita).
Myths about carbon credits
Myth: The government pays for them
Fact: Voluntary credits are bought by private buyers. In the voluntary market, buyers are mostly companies, led for biochar by Microsoft, Google, BCG and JPMorgan (CDR.fyi). Some governments run separate compliance markets, such as California’s cap-and-trade program (California Air Resources Board), but that’s a different system from the voluntary market where biochar removal credits are sold.
Myth: It’s a tax or a subsidy
Fact: A credit is a certificate that is bought and sold. Credits are granted to project owners, “who sell them to third parties like companies” (MIT Climate Portal). No tax is collected and no subsidy is paid; a buyer pays a producer for verified climate work.
Myth: Anyone can claim them
Fact: Credits must be verified and issued by a registry. High-integrity programs require independent third-party verification and a registry that uniquely identifies every credit, so none is counted twice (ICVCM). Isometric’s public registry, for example, tracks each certificate from issuance through transfer and retirement (Isometric).
Myth: Credits let polluters off the hook
Fact: Credible guidance says cut emissions first. The Oxford Offsetting Principles start with “Cut emissions,” then use durable removals for what’s left (University of Oxford). The IPCC finds carbon dioxide removal is part of reaching net zero, used “to counterbalance residual GHG emissions” (IPCC).
Myth: All credits are the same
Fact: Quality varies widely. A 2023 investigation by the Guardian, Die Zeit and SourceMaterial reported that most rainforest offsets from the largest certifier were likely “phantom credits” (The Guardian). Those were avoidance credits. Biochar is a removal that stores carbon for centuries (Puro.earth).
Myth: It’s just paperwork
Fact: Behind every biochar credit is physical carbon. Biochar is made by heating biomass without oxygen, converting it into a stable form of carbon (Puro.earth). Registries publish the evidence behind certificates so anyone can audit it (Isometric).
Want to learn more?
At Georgia Wood Char, we sell carbon removal credits from the biochar we make in Commerce, Georgia. See our carbon credits page or contact our sales team.