Our quality criteria
When we burn fossil oil, gas or coal, we fill up the atmosphere with carbon that was not supposed to do be there. Carbon removal is about reversing this process, taking carbon back from the air, storing it away for a long time - putting carbon back where it belongs.
Carbon atoms are always moving. From being CO2 in the air, to become biomass in a tree, further on to soil, and back into air. Taking the carbon out of what is called the short carbon cycle, and storing it away permanently, is carbon removal. The result is measurably less carbon in the atmosphere.
There are many ways to do this, and producing biochar is one of them. The common part of any carbon removal technology is that carbon is taken from the short carbon cycle and put into the long.
Removing carbon with Down to Earth works, because we don't take short cuts. These are our quality requirements to ensure climate impact:
1. Additionality
Your purchase is crucial for the carbon removal to happen, rather than claiming credit for removal that would have happened anyway.
2. Certified
The solution must be certified by the best available standards with LCAs ensuring Net Removals and irreversal storage with conservative estimates.
3. Openness & Safety
Measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) should be comprehensive, documenting from cradle to grave. All data is available for our customers, and everything is verifiable and auditable by an independent third party.
4. Beyond Certification (Co-benefits)
Our biochar carbon removal projects should not have unintended negative effects, but rather contribute to positive environmental and social impacts.
5. Improvement
Biochar Carbon Removal has developed a lot in the last few years. The industry is still young and has a lot to learn. We will constantly work to improve solutions, processes, standards, and systems beyond their current state.
Read our quality requirements for biochar carbon removal.
From cradle to grave - a deep dive into carbon storage and biochar production.