Policy Hub
Public programs, practice standards, and product certification that sit beside voluntary carbon markets. Distinct from registry methodologies (Carbon Markets Hub): policy here means government ag programs, inventory rules, and quality labels that shape how biochar is produced and used.
Domain purpose
- Practice / incentive programs (e.g. US NRCS) can pay for soil application without issuing tradable CDR credits.
- Product standards (EBC, WBC, IBI) define material quality and safety thresholds used by markets and buyers.
- Inventory / climate policy (IPCC appendix; regional frameworks mentioned in market notes) affects national accounting—not the same as project-level credits.
Keep these layers separate when reading methodologies or offtake contracts.
Notes in this folder
| Note | Role |
|---|---|
| NRCS soil carbon amendment in US ag | US conservation practice standard for biochar; not a credit methodology |
| Product Standards EBC IBI | Brief hub — EBC / WBC / IBI roles; ANSI S668 testing methods; links Contaminants, CSI, Puro |
| US Biochar Initiative | ABI/USBI — NRCS funding guide, lab-report guidance, ANSI S668 host |
| USBI Guidance vs Vault Notes | Comparison of ABI practice PDFs vs vault Policy/Applications notes |
Related notes elsewhere
- IPCC inventory framing → CDR Potential and IPCC Accounting
- Credit ownership vs stacked incentives → Double Counting and Credit Ownership
- Contaminant thresholds used by standards → Contaminants and Quality
- EU CRCF and similar mentioned in Carbon Markets Hub / Key Sources (expand only with sources)
Gaps / to research
- Other national farm or waste programs that list biochar (beyond NRCS)
- How product certificates interact with registry eligibility in practice
- Public procurement or labeling rules for biochar products
- Interaction of compliance markets with voluntary BCR (if/when sources exist)
Primary links
| Resource | URL |
|---|---|
| NRCS CPS 336 FAQ (Apr 2026 PDF) | https://nrcs-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/2026-04/soil-carbon-amendment-ac-336-faq.pdf · answers CPS 336 planning questions |
| ABI NRCS funding quick guide (2026 PDF) | https://biochar.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Biochar-Guidelines-Funding-2026-final.pdf |
| ANSI/ASABE/USBI S668 (testing methods PDF) | https://biochar.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ANSI-S668.pdf · standardizes biochar lab testing |
| American Biochar Institute | https://biochar.org/about-abi/ · US Biochar Initiative |
| EBC | https://www.european-biochar.org/ |
| IBI | https://biochar-international.org/ |
| Verra VM0044 v1.2 | https://verra.org/methodologies/vm0044-biochar-utilization-in-soil-and-non-soil-applications-v1-2/ |
| EU CRCF Delegated Reg. 2026/285 | https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32026R0285 |
| ICVCM | https://www.icvcm.org/ |