A Healthier Earth launches The Biochar Blueprint
A Developer’s Guide to Scale at COP30 in Belem
Biochar is one of the most effective carbon removal tools available today. In 2024, it was responsible for 86% of all carbon dioxide removal (CDR) deliveries and the global biochar market is projected to pass $2 billion by 2032. But to meet these ambitious targets and ensure supply keeps pace, the market must scale rapidly and attract investment.
In a highly fragmented landscape dominated by small-medium developments – rich in potential but limited in scale – progress will depend on collaboration across the value chain to build a more professional, scaled, de-risked – mature market.
That’s why we’ve created ‘The Biochar Blueprint: A Developer’s Guide to Scale’. A product of collaboration itself, it brings together the sharpest minds in the biochar industry, drawing on decades of experience and expertise across law, insurance, certification, measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) and investment, to create a framework for developers to scale their operations and appeal to investors.
The science and technology behind biochar are proven, the missing piece of the puzzle is the capital needed to grow biochar projects to an industrial scale. Most developers are driven by biochar’s potential to combat climate change – but that’s not what attracts mainstream investment. Institutional investors seek commercially viable, de-risked, bankable assets. For developers, that means predictable returns, diversified revenue streams, and clear signals of confidence from carbon credit buyers regarding long-term performance and integrity.
The main barriers to scale and investment
Drawing on collective industry insights, The Biochar Blueprint identifies five key barriers currently holding the sector back, offering practical guidance for project developers to overcome them and create thriving, large scale biochar projects:
Projects face a major challenge in attracting mainstream investment due to a lack of bankable, investor-friendly contract structures. Developers can improve bankability with tightened contract terms, aligned durations with payback periods, and specialist legal advice.
The supply of attractive, long-term biochar credits is limited because the market is dominated by voluntary arrangements, with most credits already contracted to a handful of large corporate buyers, leaving developers with little negotiating power. They should focus on structuring longer-term, certified contracts, diversifying project pools, and managing risk to make their credits more appealing.
Biochar projects face complex challenges in balancing multiple revenue streams – carbon credits, physical biochar sales, and heat residue – each with their own market dynamics and risks. Developer success depends on sophisticated financial management, strategic partnerships, and operational efficiency to ensure both profitability and eligibility for carbon credits.
The rapidly evolving technological landscape for biochar presents developers with complex choices and significant risks. Developers should prioritise proven, scalable technologies, robust risk management, and due diligence to ensure reliability and investor confidence.
Biochar projects are hampered by complex and fragmented regulatory requirements, high administrative overheads, and inconsistent standards across jurisdictions. Developers need to understand this complex and changing landscape. They can manage these burdens effectively by starting early, digitising processes, streamlining information flows, and engaging with local experts.
Launching on a global stage
The Biochar Blueprint is being launched COP30 in Brazil, where carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is featuring on the official agenda for the first time. This inaugural inclusion was led by the Coalition for Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR30) – a global alliance of nonprofits, researchers, philanthropists, and industry leaders, including A Healthier Earth. Together, we are urging the world and corporate leaders to scale up CDR investments alongside emissions reductions to ensure a viable path to net zero.
A blueprint for action
‘The Biochar Blueprint: A Developer’s Guide to Scale’ is the most comprehensive playbook of its kind – addressing the barriers to scaling the biochar market head-on and offering clear, practical steps to turn it into a reliable, investable solution.
We hope it can help spark a new wave of investment into the market, moving biochar from a cottage industry, and into the mainstream. To make that shift possible, we’re committed to closing the current gap between supply and demand, enabling future buyers to access high-integrity carbon credits with greater confidence and lower risk – and supporting durable, long-term carbon dioxide removal.