In South Korea, POSCO International and the International Environmental, Social, and Governance Association (IESGA) signed a memorandum of understanding on June 23, 2026, to evaluate the carbon-reduction potential of 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 within large-scale commercial agricultural operations. The joint initiative targets the palm plantations operated by PT Prime Agri Resources Tbk (PT.PAR), an Indonesian palm oil enterprise recently acquired by the South Korean trading company. Led by IESGA presidents Professor Yong Sik Ok and Professor Jay Hyuk Rhee, the project seeks to establish field-level metrics for soil carbon storage. This research marks a significant effort to validate academic biochar applications on a massive commercial scale within the international agricultural sector.

Large-scale plantation management historically prioritizes crop yields and immediate profitability, often overlooking the long-term depletion of soil organic carbon and the associated greenhouse gas emissions. Agricultural industries face mounting global pressure to mitigate emissions and transition assets into verified carbon sinks. However, a major challenge lies in the lack of precise, scientific frameworks to measure, map, and verify carbon sequestration capacities across diverse soil properties under commercial cultivation. Without localized data and strategic field demonstrations, corporate entities cannot reliably integrate carbon-negative technologies into existing business mechanisms or successfully qualify for the international carbon-credit market.

To establish this missing framework, POSCO International and IESGA are deploying an interdisciplinary strategy focused on advanced soil analysis and biomassBiomass is a complex biological organic or non-organic solid product derived from living or recently living organism and available naturally. Various types of wastes such as animal manure, waste paper, sludge and many industrial wastes are also treated as biomass because like natural biomass these More utilization. The project initializes a comprehensive “Carbon Mapping” system to quantify greenhouse gas emission characteristics and baseline carbon levels across the Indonesian plantation. Researchers are identifying optimal zones for the application of biochar produced by pyrolyzing localized agricultural by-products. By examining soil properties and monitoring localized applications, the team aims to optimize the delivery of stable carbon into the ground, providing a verified method for transforming active agricultural acreage into long-term carbon reservoirs.

The collaborative initiative yields a structured pathway to transition agricultural land into quantified carbon assets, aligning with POSCO Group’s broader environmental initiatives. By mapping and validating the long-term carbon storage capacity of biochar-amended soils, the project generates the necessary scientific dataset to support future carbon-credit integration. Furthermore, the field demonstration provides a replicable, high-impact model for industrial ESG compliance, proving that commercial agricultural waste can be successfully diverted into verified climate mitigation strategies without disrupting regional crop management systems.