Members of the IBI team at the North American Biochar Conference in Minneapolis, MN.
Letter from the Team
Last week, the IBI team participated in the North American Biochar Conference (NABC). It was a chance to reconnect with old friends and colleagues, meet new partners, and learn about the latest ideas, trends, and research shaping the future of biochar. From field demonstrations to conversations on business development, permitting, and financing, to in-depth discussions on dMRV and standards, the energy was strong. You could really feel that biochar momentum is growing in many directions.
Spaces like the NABC are essential. They remind us how much progress has been made, the creativity of the sector, the value of working together, as well as the gaps in order to keep growing together. In many sessions you could feel the enthusiasm and engagement of attendees, from new opportunities in carbon markets, to the progress on ANSI standards that bring more trust and consistency into the sector. All of this shows biochar is moving from the margins to the center of climate and land-use solutions.
At the same time, the conference also made me think about what is still missing at the global level. To really unlock biochar’s potential, greater inclusion is essential: of women, of the Global South, of diverse voices in the spaces where decisions are made. A just transition is not possible if these perspectives are absent. Resilience cannot be built on absence.
Because in the end, resilience is what biochar is all about.
The 2025 Global Biochar Industry Survey is live, and we want to hear from you! 💡
The US Biochar Initiative, State of Carbon Dioxide Removal, and IBI have partnered to gather key insights about our industry from biochar producers, researchers, consultants, policymakers, and more to provide valuable information to increasingly-interested stakeholders across agriculture, forestry, and carbon markets. We want to know about your experiences with production volumes, market dynamics, and regulatory and technological developments to scale the biochar industry to meet the growing demand for the technology.
In only 10-20 minutes, you can do your part to help our growing and thriving industry.
IBI and Qualterra are hosting a three-day immersive experience with interactive tours, key insights from biochar industry experts, and opportunities to connect with other passionate industry colleagues in Spokane, Washington. We want you to join us!
Keynote speakers include:
- Kelly McLain, WSDA Assistant Director
- Dr. Kristin Trippe, USDA-ARS Research Microbiologist
- David Knaus, Apical Crop Science Founder and President
- Dr. Sharol Marcec, Qualterra Field Trial Scientist
*IBI members receive a discount on registration – reach out to info@biochar-international.org*
Methodologies, standards, and project expectations have shifted since IBI and Hamerkop first released the Biochar Carbon Removal Manual in 2024. Now it’s back—updated and expanded to help you stay ahead of the curve.
Join the launch webinar to hear an in-depth introduction to the update Manual to help you make informed, strategic decisions about your biochar project.
Carbon Removal Secures Historic Pavilion at COP30
IBI is a proud member of the CDR30 Coalition
The newly confirmed CDR30 Pavilion in Belém will be the world’s first COP pavilion dedicated to carbon removals, spotlighting their growing role in tackling climate change. Showcasing solutions from across the sector, the Pavilion will highlight how carbon removals work hand in hand with emissions reductions to accelerate progress toward global climate goals.
This is more than visibility. It is a chance to: • Place biochar on the political stage. • Connect decision-makers with credible, science-based solutions. • Strengthen alliances that accelerate durable carbon removals.
IBI is proud to be part of this moment and will work to ensure biochar is visible, credible, and included in the CDR dialogue at COP30.
OPPORTUNITY: Take 1 minute to endorse a new paper recognizing biochar as a critical carbon removal pathway. Researchers, academics, and the scientific community are invited to endorse the paper to push policymakers to recognize biochar as a proven, permanent carbon removal solution. With clear standards and supportive frameworks, biochar can become a central pillar of global climate policy. Add your name. 📝
NEWS: ANZBIG CEO Don Coyne will be stepping down from the organization to pursue new opportunities. Thanks for all of your work, Don!
EVENT: ichar's 9th Biochar School is this October 30–31. View the program!
NEWS: Severyn Wye Biochar – a site we visited in last month's Wale Study Tour – wins a 600K grant to convert recovered heat from its biochar production process into electricity.
NEWS: IBI member Crbnfix is set to begin operations on their large-scale facility in Nagpur in January 2026. It will process 20 tons of bamboo and agricultural waste each day, producing bio-carbon, bio-oil, and clean energy. They expect to generate 3,000 tons of carbon credits in the first year, increasing to 15,000 tons annually within a few years. They're looking for partnerships across Southeast Asia – reach out to sanjayhirpara@crbnfix.com.
RESOURCE: Heading to COP30 or communicating about CDR ahead of time? Use the new Think Negative website as a tool in your messages.
Partner Newsletters to Read
featuring opportunities, stories, and more
Sign up for Australia and New Zealand Biochar Industry Group’s (ANZBIG) newsletter
Nov. 4: IBI Member Social & Exchange – we're launching a new online forum and community of practice for members! Bring your coffee, or your favorite cocktail, and join us to connect with other members and learn more.
Dec. 3: Dive into IBI Board member Johannes Lehmann's latest research on how biochar made from human waste could address the world's fertilizer shortages.
🌟 Rubicon Carbon And Bio-Logical strike a deal for biochar carbon credits.
🌊 A scientist in Ghana is exploring how biochar made from coconut husks can remove pharmaceutical residues in waterways.
💰 Terraton raised an $11.5 million seed round for its “business-in-a-box” approach to biochar project development.
🍃 A South African project aims to restore grazing land by transforming invasive Prosopis tree into biochar.
🌱 Farmers in South Africa's Heidelberg are using biochar to make an impact.
🌍 Worker cooperative PlantVillage+ is deploying an automated “PyroTower" to produce biochar to help farmers in the developing world improve their yields.
➕ India's first state-supported biochar program will establish a plant to generate carbon credits, create jobs, mitigate forest fires and promote sustainable biomass use.
✒️ Altitude has signed a deal to secure more than 50,000 tons of CO2 Removal Certificates (CORCs) from Southeast Asian biochar facilities run by Greenglow.
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