By bno - Mumbai bureau Google has agreed to purchase carbon credits from an Indian start-up that transforms agricultural waste into biochar, a charcoal-like material that captures CO2 and enriches soil,

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 100,000 tons of carbon credits from now until 2030. Varaha's chief executive Madhur Jain said there was scope for rapid growth, with waste from India's farms capable of generating enough biochar to store more than 100 million tons of CO2 every year.

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.

Alphabet Inc.’s Google will buy carbon-removal credits based on projects using biochar that’s made by heating organic waste, one of the biggest such deals to date.

Google has entered into a groundbreaking agreement with Indian startup Varaha to purchase 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide removal credits. This partnership marks Google’s first carbon project deal in India and represents the largest transaction involving biomass-produced biochar to date.

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