Google signs major carbon credit deal to cut methane in Indian rice fields

Google has signed its largest-ever superpollutant carbon credit agreement with Mitti Labs, an AI and satellite-based startup. The deal involves purchasing 1 million carbon credits over the next four years to support over 70,000 smallholder farmers in India.

The initiative focuses on reducing methane emissions from rice farming through Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) techniques. By cycling the flooding of paddy fields, oxygen re-enters the soil, which can reduce methane formation by approximately half and decrease irrigation demand by nearly 40%.

This project is part of Google’s Superpollutant Action Initiative, which includes a commitment to spend at least $50 million by 2030 on projects targeting methane, fluorinated gases, and other non-CO2 greenhouse gases. Beyond emission reductions, the project aims to save significant water resources, with estimates suggesting up to 1.5 trillion litres could be saved across 100,000 hectares by 2030.