<a href="https://www.forestry.earth/">FLS Group AG</a>, global developer of investment-grade forestry and carbon removal projects, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cula.tech/">Cula</a>, a provider of MRV software and digital infrastructure for carbon removal projects, on Feb. 19 announced a partnership to strengthen trust in biochar carbon removals by improving how the underlying evidence is captured, tracked, and verified.The partnership focuses on a critical weak point in today’s monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) chain: the anchor sample of biochar that gets tested in a lab.While laboratory analysis itself is rigorous, the entire verification process depends on the physical sample submitted to the lab. Under current biochar crediting approaches, sampling must follow documented plans and aim to be representative. However, there is no requirement that an independent third-party physically collect the sample.In practice, project developers commonly control which material becomes the “anchor sample” for testing.&nbsp;Since this chosen sample sets the anchor point for crediting accuracy, durability, environmental compliance, and overall MRV credibility, the arrangement inherently creates a conflict of interest and, even in good-faith operations, exposes the entire category to reputational risk.FLS and Cula are working to close this integrity gap, implementing a practical and scalable protocol that introduces independent oversight at the sampling stage, which includes:·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Independent third-party collection of biochar samples at defined intervals.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Unannounced, randomized on-site sampling, with minimal notice (approximately three hours).·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;A dMRV record captures who collected the sample and when, plus a signed declaration, and links it to the lab report for an audit-ready trail from site to results.Giovanni Marastoni, head of analytics at FLS Group AG, comments,&nbsp;“Carbon removals only work as an asset class if they’re durable in the real world and durable under scrutiny. Strengthening MRV at the foundations makes these projects more investable, lowers the risk of future challenges, and supports a healthier market over time.”Moritz Spranger, co-founder at Cula, comments, “When claims are backed by traceable evidence, everyone benefits: buyers gain confidence, regulators and auditors gain clarity, and project developers receive recognition for doing the hard parts properly. Independent collection combined with digital traceability ensures that MRV begins with a representative sample and a provable chain of custody.”First deployment: Project Alfheim, ParaguayThe protocol will debut at FLS’s Project Alfheim in Paraguay, the developer’s showcase biochar carbon removal project. This will be the first project to formalize mandatory independent sampling as a standing protocol inside the project’s monitoring system, not just as an occasional audit activity.Project Alfheim brings together pyrolysis technology developed by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.haiqienvtech.com/">Haiqi Environmental Energy Group</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.decarbo-engineering.com/">DecarboEngineering</a>’s technical expertise across the carbon value chain, Cula’s digital infrastructure for advanced monitoring and verification, and FLS Group’s project development and structuring capabilities to establish a best-in-class carbon removal program built for scale and scrutiny.The project is designed to convert approximately 30,000 tons of waste biomass annually into around 13,000 tons of high-quality biochar, delivering an estimated 25,000 tons of CO₂e removals per year.FLS has committed to embedding this safeguard across all future biochar projects and encourages the broader market to adopt similar best-in-class integrity measures.&nbsp;

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FLS Group AG and Cula on Feb. 19 announced a partnership to strengthen trust in biochar carbon removals by improving how the underlying evidence is captured, tracked, and verified.

FLS Group and Cula partner to close biochar sampling loophole

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