Google signs 2mln-ton methane, carbon removal deal with Terradot

18 / 09 / 2026

By Marwa Nassar - -

Google has signed a new partnership with Terradot to support climate action across more than 200,000 hectares of rice farms in southern Brazil, involving the purchase of 1 million metric tons of methane elimination by 2030 and 1 million metric tons of permanent carbon removal by 2040.

The agreement is Google’s largest carbon-removal purchase to date and combines near-term methane reductions with long-term carbon dioxide removal within the same agricultural system.

Cutting methane:

Under the project, Terradot will help rice farmers adopt Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), an irrigation practice that periodically drains flooded rice paddies to reduce methane emissions.

The approach targets methane, a short-lived but potent greenhouse gas, providing near-term climate benefits while carbon removal measures develop.

Permanent carbon removal:

Terradot will also apply naturally sourced crushed volcanic rock to the same rice fields through Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW).

As the rock weathers, it permanently removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Google said the combination is designed to deliver megaton-scale climate impact by 2030, with the carbon-removal component continuing through 2040.

The project will also support farmers by reducing water use and input costs through AWD, while the crushed volcanic rock can contribute to soil health.

Scaling rice solutions:

Google said southern Brazil offers favorable conditions for the approach, including warm, wet conditions, tropical soils, flooded rice systems and nearby basalt quarries.

The model could eventually be expanded across Brazil’s 1.5 million hectares of rice cultivation and other rice-growing regions worldwide. Google is also funding research into the methane-reduction potential of AWD across different rice-growing systems.