Google Backs $1 Billion Carbon Removal Deal in Brazil Rice Project

Google has signed its largest carbon removal purchase to date with Terradot, backing a major project in southern Brazil that combines methane reduction from rice farming with permanent carbon removal.

The project covers over 200,000 hectares of rice farmland in Rio Grande do Sul and uses two climate solutions: alternate wetting and drying (AWD) to reduce methane emissions by up to 70%, and enhanced rock weathering (ERW) to remove CO2 from the atmosphere.

Google will purchase 1 million tonnes of CO2e methane elimination by 2030 and another 1 million tonnes of permanent carbon removal by 2040. The agreement is significant, as it is the largest ERW project publicly announced so far and the first to combine near-term methane cuts with long-term carbon removal.

Randy Spock, Head of Carbon Removal at Google, noted: 'We hope this agreement will serve as a template for other buyers, suppliers, and governments aiming to maximize their climate impact.'