Grassroots Carbon and Pledge Join Forces to Provide High-quality Soil Carbon Storage credits to the European Market
San Antonio, 16 August 2022 — Grassroots Carbon, a San Antonio-based soil carbon storage company, and Pledge, a London-based integrated carbon measurement and offsetting platform, have announced a purchase of soil carbon storage credits from Grassroots Carbon to expand the offering of projects to Pledge’s customers.
Soil carbon storage credits from Grassroots Carbon represent measured, certified carbon drawdown at a scale that matters. Grassroots Carbon’s mission is to remove barriers for land stewards to turn conventionally managed lands into regeneratively managed lands by paying ranchers for their carbon sequestration and storage. By only certifying the actual drawdown, this project aims to remove massive amounts of carbon reliably and naturally.
Pledge believes that nature based solutions such as soil carbon are an effective method of storing carbon at scale. Through this purchase, Pledge will enhance the offering of carbon removal projects to their clients, whilst also supporting the scaling of regenerative practices that lead to carbon storage.
“Pledge’s purchase of soil carbon storage credits significantly reduces the financial barrier faced by ranchers interested in moving towards regenerative practices by providing a clear return on their investment in order to secure financing or decide to expend their own capital,” said Dr. Henk Mooiweer, CEO and Co-Founder of Grassroots Carbon. “The purchase of soil carbon credits through Pledge supports our efforts to provide access to training, on-site consultancy, and an active learning community of land stewards. Ultimately, carbon payments are a driver to turn conventional land into regenerative and restored land.”
“Our Partnership with Grassroots Carbon further adds to our portfolio of projects which we offer our clients who want to mitigate their emissions,” said David de Picciotto, CEO and Co-founder of Pledge. “It’s great to be working with Grassroots Carbon’s program as it is a scalable solution, an approach that we share at Pledge where we democratise access to climate mitigation projects. Beyond the climate impact, it’s great to see the partnerships that Grassroots Carbon develops with ranchers, which is clearly a mutually beneficial relationship. This is the only way forward if we are to scale solutions to address climate change”
Near surface soil contains more carbon than all atmospheric carbon and all plant carbon combined. Soil carbon storage is a natural process where photosynthesis pulls carbon out of the atmosphere and into healthy soil. By mimicking the way that bison grazed on an open prairie, land managers can restore the native ecosystem on their land, stimulating the increased growth of native prairie grasses. These deep-rooted plants capture and store atmospheric CO2 and transfer it deep into the soil, where it securely remains so long as it is not tilled. A large percentage of the sequestered soil carbon introduced below ground will be quite permanent over decades, centuries, and millennia if the management practices that create the soil carbon sequestration remain in place. The restoration of these healthy plants ensures that the land remains covered with plant life, which ensures carbon capture and drawdown, but also promotes biodiversity, improved water retention, erosion mitigation, and supports wildlife.
About Grassroots Carbon
Grassroots Carbon makes it easier for companies to reduce their carbon footprint by offering quantifiable carbon drawdown through soil carbon storage at a scale that matters. Grassroots Carbon can offer access to over 6 million acres of regeneratively managed land through its proprietary grazing management platform, PastureMap. Through its PastureMap network and our transparent business model, Grassroots Carbon helps leading companies to remove massive amounts of carbon quickly, reliably, and naturally. Recarbonize the Soil™ at BuildGrassroots.com.
About Pledge
Pledge is an integrated suite of climate tools that lets businesses incorporate trusted carbon measurement, reduction and carbon removal capabilities into their customer offering quickly and easily. By giving their customers the tools they need to understand and manage their climate impact, businesses meet demand for ESG initiatives, win new business and build a talented, purpose-driven workforce. Its backers include Visionaries Club, Lowercarbon Capital and Zinal Growth.