# Carbon removal MRV: take carbon back and prove every tonne Canonical: https://senseible.earth/carbon-removal The CO2 is already up there. Cutting emissions stops more from rising. Removal brings it back down, into trees, soil, rock, the ocean and deep underground. A buyer pays only for what a verifier confirms stayed down. Senseible keeps that proof in one record a verifier can open. ## Cutting is not removing. Both are sold as carbon offsets. A buyer needs to know which one they are paying for. - Reduction: Less goes up. A kiln replaces open burning, a paddy stops flooding. The credit counts what did not happen. - Removal: CO2 already in the air comes down and is held in biochar, rock, wood or deep underground. The credit counts what is held, and for how long. Under an SBTi net zero target, only removals can balance the emissions a company still has in its target year. ## Five pathways: what each does, how long it lasts and how it is proven ### Biochar (removal) Crop residue is baked with little air in a kiln. Its carbon turns solid and goes into the soil. Most of the carbon stays put for a century or more. Proven by: kiln temperature log; lab test of every batch; photo of spreading inside the plot. Credited under Verra VM0044 and Puro.earth. [Biochar carbon credits in India](https://senseible.earth/answers/biochar-carbon-credits-india). ### Rock weathering (removal) Crushed basalt spread on fields reacts with CO2 in rainwater and locks it into stable minerals. Held for thousands of years, but slow to happen and hard to measure. Proven by: rock source and tonnes spread; soil and water samples over years; crushing and trucking emissions subtracted. [What to ask about rock weathering](https://senseible.earth/answers/enhanced-rock-weathering-carbon-removal-claims). ### Direct air capture (removal) Machines pull CO2 out of the air. It is pumped deep underground, where it stays in the rock. Held for thousands of years when the storage site is sound. Proven by: metered co2 captured; energy used to capture it; monitoring of the storage well. ### Agroforestry (removal) Trees grown among crops, as shade for coffee or along field edges, store carbon in wood and roots. Held for decades. Fire, felling or disease can release it. Proven by: every tree plot on a map; tree counts and growth over time; a buffer kept back for losses. [Carbon credits from shade trees](https://senseible.earth/answers/coffee-agroforestry-carbon-credits-india). ### Rice methane cut (reduction) The paddy dries between floods. Less methane forms in the soil. Nothing is stored. Less methane goes up: about 45% less. Proven by: dated water tube readings; hectares where it was actually done; extra nitrous oxide subtracted. Credited under Verra VM0051. [The AWD methane calculation](https://senseible.earth/answers/awd-rice-methane-reduction-calculation). ## One record travels from the field to the buyer. 1. Farmer: Plot, consent, photos. 2. Project developer: Kiln logs, lab tests, problems fixed. 3. Verifier: Checked against the methodology. 4. Registry: Credits issued. 5. Buyer: Sees where it came from and how long it lasts. An accredited verifier checks the record and the registry issues the credits. Senseible builds and checks the record before it gets there. ## From a field reading to the farmer's payment. 1. Measure. Field agents log plots, residue, kiln heat and lab results, even with no signal. 2. Record. Every reading joins one chain: residue, kiln, lab, field. Anything off is flagged on the spot. 3. Verify. An accredited verifier opens one pack: the chain and a map of every plot. 4. Issue. Senseible prepares the registry submission. The registry issues credits on the verified tonnes. 5. Sell. Buyers see the proof before they pay. Forward deals and their payment milestones are tracked. 6. Pay. The project pays farmers the share it agreed, recorded against each plot. ## Where do you come in? - [Farmer or FPO: watch one farm season on your crop](https://senseible.earth/carbon-removal/farms) - Project developer: Plots, kilns, lab tests and payments in one record your verifier can open. [See what projects get](https://senseible.earth/carbon-removal/projects). - Credit buyer: See where each tonne came from, how long it lasts and what it did for the farm. [See the proof](https://senseible.earth/carbon-removal/buyers). ## Straight answers ### What is the difference between a carbon offset and carbon removal? An offset credit can come from either. A reduction credit pays for emissions that did not happen, such as a kiln replacing open burning or a paddy that stops flooding. A removal credit pays for CO2 taken out of the air and held, in biochar, rock, wood or deep underground. Buyers ask which one they are getting because they count differently in net zero claims. ### How long does removed carbon stay out of the air? It depends on where it goes. Trees and soil hold it for decades and can lose it to fire, felling or ploughing. Biochar holds most of its carbon for a century or more: the IPCC default keeps 89% of the carbon in high-temperature biochar after 100 years. Rock weathering and CO2 stored deep underground hold it for thousands of years. ### Who verifies carbon removal credits? An accredited validation and verification body (VVB) checks the project's evidence against its methodology, and a registry such as Verra or Puro.earth issues the credits. Senseible builds and checks the evidence pack before it reaches them; it is not the accredited verifier. ### What is dMRV for carbon credits? Digital measurement, reporting and verification. Readings from the field, kiln sensors and labs are captured as they happen, with the time, place and source attached, so a verifier checks one record instead of rebuilding it from paper. ### Which methodologies cover biochar and rice? Verra VM0044 covers biochar used in soil and other uses, and Puro.earth certifies biochar carbon removal. Verra VM0051 covers improved rice management, including alternate wetting and drying. Each sets its own tests, such as a hydrogen to organic carbon (H:Corg) ratio of 0.7 or less for biochar stability. ### Can farmers earn from carbon credits? Yes, through a project, not one farm at a time. A project developer signs farmers up, runs the change across many plots, gets the credits verified and issued, and pays farmers the share written in their contract. Ask to see that share in writing before you sign. ### Does buying removal credits cut my company's own emissions? No. Report removals and credits separately from your inventory. Your Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions stay gross; the credits sit beside them. Keep reading: [Biochar carbon credits in India](https://senseible.earth/answers/biochar-carbon-credits-india), [Soil carbon credits for farmers](https://senseible.earth/answers/soil-carbon-credits-india-farmers), [Verra or Gold Standard?](https://senseible.earth/answers/verra-or-gold-standard-which-to-choose), [Farm practices in your Scope 3](https://senseible.earth/answers/regenerative-agriculture-scope-3-claims), [Carbon credits in India](https://senseible.earth/carbon-credits-india), [How credit checks work](https://senseible.earth/carbon-credits), [All answers](https://senseible.earth/answers).