What US Biochar Coalition (USBC) does

The U.S. Biochar Coalition (USBC) is a non-profit trade association founded in 2023 and headquartered at 200 Massachusetts Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C. Its mission is to unify the voice of biochar systems, agriculture, forestry, climate tech, and carbon removal industry stakeholders in advocacy for market, policy, and economic conditions that catalyze biochar systems industry growth. Biochar is defined as the solid material obtained from the thermochemical conversion of biomass in an oxygen-limited environment (pyrolysis), and the organization positions it as a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technology capable of permanently removing up to three tons of CO2 per ton of high-temperature biochar placed in durable sequestration.

USBC's operational model is membership-based with six tiers — Student, Sole Proprietor/Municipality, Basic, General, Sustaining, and Board/Premier — offering annual, biannual, and quarterly payment options processed through Square on its website. The association is managed by SMART Policy Group, whose co-founders (Maureen Walsh and Carrie Annand) serve as Executive Director and Policy Director respectively, bringing decades of prior trade association experience from the American Biogas Council and Biomass Power Association. Core offerings center on federal lobbying, state policy development, bi-weekly policy updates, two annual Washington D.C. fly-ins, working groups, and the annual North American Biochar Conference.

The membership base of 30+ organizations spans the full biochar systems value chain, from producers (Wakefield Biochar, Oregon Biochar Solutions/CharDirect, Sitos Group) and technology providers (Pyreg, BluSky Carbon) to carbon markets (Three Oaks Carbon, Carbonfuture, Charm Industrial) and end markets. Five founding members hold board officer positions. The organization supplements its advocacy work with educational resources including the USDA-supported Pacific Northwest Biochar Atlas, a Soil Carbon Amendment Calculator, and a partnership with the Carbon Business Council for CDR Responsible Deployment Training. Its federal policy priorities include NRCS Biochar Eligibility, Farm Bill support, and engagement with USDA, DOE, EPA, DOD, and the Forest Service.

Name

US Biochar Coalition (USBC)

Legal name

U.S. Biochar Coalition

Website

https://usbiocharcoalition.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The U.S. Biochar Coalition is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit trade association founded in 2023 that advocates for biochar systems industry growth through federal and state policy engagement, serving 30+ member organizations across producers, technology providers, carbon markets, and end-use sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Trade Association / Climate Tech Advocacy

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Biochar Production & Soil/Material Applications (EUABAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biochar Carbon Projects (Biomass to Biochar & Soil Application) (EUABABAH), Biochar & Carbon-Based Soil Conditioners (AFABADAD), Carbon Accounting, MRV & Certification for BECCS (LCA, Biogenic Carbon, Registries) (EUAAALAI)

Keywords

• Biochar advocacy
• Industry trade association
• Carbon removal policy
• Climate tech lobbying
• Agricultural soil amendments

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington DC

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual, biannual, and quarterly membership dues at multiple tiers including Student, Sole Proprietor/Municipality, Basic, General, and Sustaining levels. Each tier undergoes Board review prior to formal approval.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The U.S. Biochar Coalition is an industry trade association that provides federal and state policy advocacy, lobbying, and industry networking services for biochar producers, technology providers, agriculture and forestry stakeholders, carbon markets, and climate-tech companies. Members gain access to advocacy campaigns, Washington D.C. fly-ins, working groups, industry conferences, and educational resources that catalyze growth of the U.S. biochar systems industry. Revenue comes from tiered membership dues across Student, Sole Proprietor/Municipality, Basic, General, Sustaining, and Board/Premier levels.

Product overview

USBC is a trade association focused on advocacy, policy development, and industry networking for the biochar systems industry. The organization does not offer a unified software product but provides educational resources and tools including the Pacific Northwest Biochar Atlas (decision support tools for biochar selection), the Soil Carbon Amendment Calculator (NRCS implementation guide), and access to the CDR RDT training course. Core offerings center on membership benefits including federal lobbying, policy advocacy, networking, and stakeholder education rather than commercial software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• USBC Trade Association Membership Membership program providing federal and state policy advocacy, lobbying, working groups, industry networking, and standards leadership; available across Student, Sole Proprietor/Municipality, Basic, General, Sustaining, and Board/Premier tiers.
• North American Biochar Conference Annual in-person conference providing networking, education, and direct engagement opportunities for biochar producers, technology providers, carbon markets participants, and end-users across the biochar ecosystem.
• Washington D.C. Fly-Ins Twice-yearly member trips to Washington D.C. for direct engagement with Congressional leadership, staff, and the Administration on biochar-related legislative and regulatory priorities.
• Pacific Northwest Biochar Atlas Educational decision-support toolkit providing guidance, biochar-type and amendment-rate selection tools, and case studies for farmers, gardeners, end-users, and biochar producers.
• Soil Carbon Amendment Calculator Spreadsheet and accompanying guide that helps biochar producers, users, and conservation planners implement the NRCS Soil Carbon Amendment practice.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50 Gigatons CO2/year removable by 2050 through biochar systems integration
• +4 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sitos GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of USBC; Director of Business Operations Jessica Bronner serves on USBC Board; advancing commercial-scale biochar projects and first commercial production facility; negotiating strategic biochar and carbon removal credit offtake agreements
• Wakefield BiocharcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member; co-owner and president Tom Marrero serves as Interim Chair of USBC; commercial grade biochar industry leader with USDA National Organics Program OMRI listed products distributed through Home Depot Pro Centers, Lowes, Tractor Supply Co, Walmart, Meijer, and Amazon
• Oregon Biochar Solutions (CharDirect)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member; Vice President Karl Strahl serves as USBC Treasurer and Standards Committee Leader; industrial scale biochar production, quality, and application expert
• BluSky CarboncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member; Co-Founder & CEO Will Hessert serves as Membership and Engagement Chair of USBC; hybrid carbon removal and decarbonization technologies; deploying multiple industrial biochar and CDR projects worldwide
• Verde ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member; Chairman Jack Wong serves as Secretary-Chair of USBC; Net Zero road solutions; strategic partnerships across carbon credit and building materials sectors
• Carbon Business CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSBC sharing Carbon Business Council's CDR RDT: Carbon Dioxide Removal Responsible Deployment Trainings as educational resources for members and the public; free introductory course on responsible carbon removal implementation
• USDA Agricultural Research ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports Pacific Northwest Biochar Atlas under award JVA # 16-JV-11261944-089; expansion of Atlas includes funding from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and USDA Agricultural Research Service for broader geographical range and enhanced functionality
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding expansion of Pacific Northwest Biochar Atlas including broader geographical range and enhanced functionality; NRCS Biochar Eligibility is a federal policy priority
• Pacific Northwest Biochar AtlasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative resource providing guidance to farmers and end-users on biochar benefits; decision support tools; case studies from early adopters; supported by USDA Agricultural Research Service and U.S. Department of the Interior
• International Biochar Initiative (IBI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSBC facilitated Board Chair Kathleen Draper of IBI to speak at Senate Farm Bill briefing in 2023; collaborating on biochar systems education and advocacy
• SMART Policy GroupcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerManages USBC's Association functions; decades of experience guiding trade associations through all phases of growth; Executive Director Maureen Walsh and Policy Director Carrie Annand are Co-Founders & Partners at SPG
• Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted Senate Farm Bill briefing where USBC facilitated Kathleen Draper of IBI to speak about biochar benefits; hosted by U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman, Senate Agriculture Committee

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Biochar Initiative (IBI): Global biochar industry association promoting biochar systems, standards, and education. Direct peer serving the same biochar ecosystem; USBC has collaborated with IBI on Senate Farm Bill briefings and biochar advocacy.
• American Biogas Council: Trade association for the U.S. biogas industry. Direct peer because USBC's Executive Director Maureen Walsh built ABC's policy program from scratch and USBC follows the same membership-driven federal advocacy model for biochar that ABC pioneered for biogas.
• Carbon Business Council: Industry coalition for carbon dioxide removal (CDR) companies. Direct peer focused on CDR policy, standards, and responsible deployment; USBC partners with Carbon Business Council to share CDR Responsible Deployment Trainings.
• Carbon Removal Coalition: Coalition advocating for carbon removal policy and federal investment in CDR technologies. Direct peer operating in the same carbon removal policy advocacy space with shared federal lobbying targets.
• Biomass Power Association: U.S. trade association for biomass power producers. Direct peer because Policy Director Carrie Annand served as lobbyist for Biomass Power Association for 9 years, and both organizations share the bioenergy/carbon policy advocacy model.

Emerging players

• Climate Action Reserve: Carbon offset registry developing protocols including for biochar. Emerging peer in the carbon markets ecosystem where USBC advocates for biochar recognition; both intersect on standards, MRV, and policy frameworks.
• Soil Health Partnership (part of The Nature Conservancy): Collaboration promoting conservation agriculture and soil health practices. Emerging peer addressing overlapping farmer/end-user audiences where biochar is positioned as a soil health tool within USDA conservation programs.
• Soil Health Institute: Nonprofit focused on soil health research, measurement, and adoption. Emerging peer in the agricultural soil amendment and regenerative agriculture space where USBC promotes biochar soil applications and Farm Bill inclusion.

Broad incumbents

• Renewable Fuels Association: Larger U.S. trade association representing the renewable fuels industry. Broad incumbent covering bioenergy and biofuels policy where USBC's biomass-experienced policy team has prior relationships through Renewable Fuel Standard Coalition work.

Regional players

• European Biochar Consortium (EBC): European biochar industry consortium focused on biochar certification, research, and policy. Regional peer with overlapping membership (USBC's policy team has European Biochar Consortium experience) but operating in EU regulatory frameworks rather than U.S.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/u-s-biochar-coalition

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about US Biochar Coalition (USBC)