Google has agreed to purchase 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide removal credits from Indian startup Varaha, its first such deal with a carbon project in India and the largest involving biomass-produced biochar (also called horticultural charcoal or “black gold” for soils).

Google will buy carbon credits from an Indian initiative that turns large amounts of agricultural waste into biochar - a form of charcoal that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and returns it to the soil,

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – Google announced its first venture into India’s carbon dioxide removal (CDR) sector through a deal with Varaha, an Indian supplier based in Gurugram, to purchase carbon credits. The agreement focuses on producing biochar, a type of charcoal that absorbs carbon dioxide and stores it in the soil.

Google’s AI ventures have led to increased greenhouse gas emissions, so its latest CO2 plan isn’t necessarily altruistic