Rothschild & Co, the startup NetZero and the "Amazonian Indian black earth"

Rothschild & Co, one of the world's largest financial advisory groups, has entered into a multi-year agreement with French startup NetZero to purchase carbon credits for NetZero’s biochar, which sequesters carbon by being mixed with topsoil, which also reduces the need for fertilizers in agriculture. “Biochar used as fertilizer can increase productivity in the crop by up to 30%, which means a very large financial gain” (Communiqué Coocafé, Brazil)

Biochar, recognised by the IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 4th April 2022 report “Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change” as a viable CO2 removal solution with global potential, is "organic matter that is carbonised by heating in an oxygen-limited environment, and used as a soil amendment". A wide range of organic matter can be used to produce biochar such as agricultural residues which would have otherwise be left to rot or burnt are used. For example: coffee or cocoa husks and shells; coconut shells and fibers; peanut or cashew shells; palm empty bunches; etc.

The carbon contained in these residues are extracted using a pyrolysis process. The resulting solid product, called biochar, is a very stable form of carbon with charcoal-shred appearance, that is mixed with topsoil to ensure long-term carbon storage, thus achieving long-term carbon removal from the atmosphere.

According to the press release, NetZero aims to deploy large scale biochar production in tropical areas. Click at the image below for the joint press release from last 20 January 2023. And here to read more about NetZero's production sites in Nkongsamba, Cameroon and Lajinha, Brazil.

NetZero was recognized as one of the world’s most promising carbon removal projects in the renown XPRIZE competition, among others.

According to some scientists, the production of biochar by pyrolysis of biomass copies the methodology of "Amazon Indian Black Earth".