In a recent opinion piece published by Carbon Herald, Jan-Willem Bode, President of Puro.earth, argues that the recently released Science Based Targets initiative Corporate Net-Zero Standard v2.0 could significantly increase demand for biochar as an insetting solution within corporate supply chains.

According to Bode, the introduction of the Ongoing Emissions Responsibility (OER) framework represents a structural shift in how companies are expected to address residual emissions while progressing toward net zero. He notes that the revised standard explicitly recognizes agricultural interventions within a company’s own sourcing landscape and requires an increasing share of ongoing emissions to be neutralized through carbon removals over time.

Bode suggests this change is particularly relevant for food, beverage, and fashion companies, whose largest emissions often originate in agricultural supply chains. In his view, biochar is uniquely positioned because it can deliver dual benefits: durable carbon removal while also improving soil health, water retention, nutrient efficiency, and, in some cases, crop productivity. This combination, he argues, makes biochar an attractive insetting pathway for companies seeking both climate impact and more resilient supply chains.

The article also emphasizes the importance of timing. Because developing high-quality carbon removal projects takes years, Bode argues that companies waiting until compliance deadlines approach may find themselves facing limited supply and higher prices.

Whether or not one agrees with all of the author’s conclusions, the article raises important questions for the biochar community:

• Will SBTi 2.0 accelerate corporate demand for biochar insetting?
• How prepared are biochar producers to participate in supply chain-based carbon removal programs?
• What challenges remain for scaling credible, high-integrity insetting projects?

What are your thoughts? Is biochar positioned to become one of the leading insetting solutions under the evolving SBTi framework?