The global cotton sustainability programme, Better Cotton, has announced a new partnership with climate technology startup Planboo. This collaboration is designed to help cotton farmers reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and create new revenue streams by converting cotton crop waste into biocharBiochar is a carbon-rich material created from biomass decomposition in low-oxygen conditions. It has important applications in environmental remediation, soil improvement, agriculture, carbon sequestration, energy storage, and sustainable materials, promoting efficiency and reducing waste in various contexts while addressing climate change challenges. More. Biochar, a stable form of carbon, can be applied to soil to improve its health and water retention, and it sequesters carbon for over a century.

Better Cotton’s 2.13 million licensed farmers, who produced 5.47 million tonnes of Better Cotton in the 2022-23 season, stand to benefit from the initiative. The project is specifically targeting smallholder cotton farming communities in India for its initial phase. By utilizing Planboo’s digital Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRVin) system, the partnership will accurately track and calculate carbon reductions, enabling farmers to generate and sell carbon credits. This not only offers a new financial incentive for sustainable farming practices but also helps brands and retailers address their Scope 3 emissions, which can account for up to 99% of their total carbon footprint.

The partnership leverages the strengths of both organizations. Better Cotton, which is the world’s largest cotton sustainability programme and accounts for 22% of global cotton production with over 2,700 members, provides the scale and network. Planboo, which was ranked sixth globally for carbon dioxide removal in 2024, provides the technological expertise. According to Lars van Doremalen, Director of Impact at Better Cotton, and Freddie Catlow, Co-founder and CEO of Planboo, this initiative represents a new pathway for the cotton sector to contribute to climate change mitigation while supporting farming livelihoods. The news of the partnership was first announced in a press release dated September 4, 2025.

SOURCE: Better Cotton Partners with Planboo to Reduce Emissions Using Cotton Crop Waste