by Jack Wong, CEO, Verde Resources Inc.
The Opportunity Beneath Our Wheels – Locking away 6,300 tons of CO₂ for every 100 miles of roads paved with Biochar
Global road construction emits more than 400 million tons of CO₂ annually—roughly on par with the aviation industry, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. 94% of U.S. roads are paved with asphalt, an energy intensive material that must be produced and installed at high temperatures.
Frontline workers must be protected from heat-related illnesses and injuries in high temperature work environments. Communities encounter delays from paving construction, preservation, and maintenance activities that can seem all too frequent. Taxpayers continue to foot the bill for deteriorating and aging roads, while the process piles on new environmental and landfill burdens.
At the same time, the voluntary carbon market faces a crisis of credibility. Many offsets are based on theoretical models rather than measurable outcomes. Headlines are increasingly filled with allegations of greenwashing and “green scams.” The market is asking a simple question: Is the carbon impact of these credits real and reliable? Until credits are grounded in physical results and supported by transparent systems, trust will continue to erode.
The solution is literally under our wheels.
A New Way to Ground Carbon—Literally
Engineered carbon removals embedded in infrastructure can restore confidence. Instead of planting trees or funding theoretical offsets, we can integrate permanent carbon storage into physical materials that society already consumes at massive scale.
Roads are among the world’s most underutilized platforms for sequestration. Biochar—charcoal produced from biogenic waste—has long been recognized as a durable carbon sink, but adoption has stalled. Farmers can’t afford it. Producers often give it away, surviving only through credit sales.
So,what IF biochar could become an essential ingredient of modern infrastructure—creating value for taxpayers, producers, contractors, and Departments of Transportation alike—while generating verified and reliable carbon credits at the same time?
From Concept to Pavement
In late 2024, a biochar-infused asphalt mix was produced and installed on the Pavement Test Track at the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT)—the first carbon-sequestering material ever placed there.
“We’ve had plenty of materials and ideas come through the NCAT Pavement Test Track over the years,” said Nathan Moore, Assistant Director for Test Track Research. “Few show the carbon reduction potential that this material does, and it’s definitely the first technology on the track with a carbon sequestration component.”
NCAT is the global asphalt industry’s independent proving ground located in Auburn, Alabama. After more than 70,000 equivalent single axle loads from 80-ton trucks—double the legal U.S. weight limit—the surface continues to successfully support accelerated truck traffic.
Relevant: Novocarbo Issues First CDR Credits From Biochar-Infused Asphalt Pilot
During the December 2024 demonstration, the asphalt was mixed at 45°F (7°C), stockpiled overnight below 40°F (4°C), and paved the next day at 46°F (8°C) using traditional equipment—with only water. It was opened to 80-ton traffic the same day.
The material can be produced without burners, used year-round, and requires no heat or solvents during installation. This enables longer paving seasons, lowers costs, and dramatically cuts emissions. It is also odorless—safe for workers and communities alike.
From Proof of Concept to a verified Net-Zero Blueprint
In April 2025, that NCAT section generated the world’s first verified carbon-removal credits from asphalt, certified by Puro.earth, the leading registry for engineered removals, and sold to one of the world’s largest financial institutions. These credits are physically tied to a road you can stand on—monitored, quantified, and transparently recorded.
Biochar-infused asphalt mitigates all emission scopes:
- Scope 1: Low-temperature, odorless, solvent-free mixing reduces onsite emissions.
- Scope 2: Reduced energy demand lowers indirect emissions from power use.
- Scope 3: Biochar locks away carbon upstream, durable pavement reduces waste downstream
This is how carbon credits should work—durable storage, measurable impact, public transparency, and tangible proof.
Scaling the Blueprint
One test track in Alabama won’t decarbonize the world. To truly scale, material-embedded removals must run through industry incumbents with the infrastructure already in place.
A 10-year exclusive licensing agreement with Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, the largest asphalt marketer in North America, enables immediate commercialization through Ergon’s existing infrastructure—eliminating the need for new plant construction. With Ergon’s extensive network across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, large-scale deployment can proceed rapidly and efficiently.
By blending biochar with 100% recycled road materials, cities can convert a mounting waste challenge into an economic opportunity. Millions of tons of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) sit unused across urban areas, yet these materials can be reintroduced into circulation as carbon-storing infrastructure. This approach aligns environmental goals with fiscal responsibility by reducing landfill burdens, lowering maintenance costs, and generating verifiable carbon credits tied to real, measurable outcomes that also enhance the bottom line. It is a globally adaptable blueprint, because every nation already has its own road network and construction ecosystem. Any country aiming to reach Net Zero by 2050 can apply this model to get there faster, without breaking the bank, and with tangible results that people can see right beneath their feet.
The Road Ahead
The trucks are already running over carbon-sequestering pavement in Alabama. The credits have been issued and sold. The model works.
Each mile of asphalt integrated with biochar locks away at least 32 metric tons of CO₂ per lane — carbon that would otherwise remain in the atmosphere. It represents permanent, measurable sequestration built directly into the infrastructure we already have.
Sustainability, once seen as a costly luxury, is now proving to be a common-sense advantage, a win for producers, frontline workers, taxpayers, and the environment alike. It is not about doing something extra; it is about doing what we already do, only smarter.
For policymakers, credit registries, and buyers, the implications are clear:
- Departments of Transportation can begin procuring low-carbon materials with verifiable and quantifiable carbon data.
- Carbon credit registries can update their methodologies to include material-embedded removals, offering greater endorsement and support so that more legitimate carbon removal credits can be issued.
- Institutional carbon credit buyers can demand credits tied to real infrastructure rather than speculative or debunkable projects.
- Congress and Parliaments can introduce the first legislation placing biochar front and center through targeted tax incentives (which also benefit farmers), while including a sunset provision to ensure accountability and prevent abuse.
In an era of deep ideological divides, the most enduring environmental solutions may come from helping traditional industries reinvent themselves. The challenge is to position carbon capture not as an ideological symbol or a luxury investment, but as a pragmatic opportunity that strengthens economies and communities alike. When policy, markets, and industry align, every mile of road can help usher in a new era of environmental stewardship, conserving both our natural and economic inheritance while demonstrating that decarbonization can be both practical and profitable. Whether or not one engages in the politics of climate change, the economics and shared benefits are undeniable.
It’s simply common sense.
For Media and Investors: info@verderesources.com
Crocker Coulson, AUM MediaCrocker.coulson@aummedia.org
(646) 652-7185.
Read the full article on the official Carbon Herald website.
