Google signs its biggest rice-methane carbon credit deal with Indian startup Mitti Labs
Google has partnered with Indian startup Mitti Labs to purchase 1 million carbon credits generated from methane-reduction techniques in rice farming. This deal is intended to help Google reach its net-zero emissions goal by 2030 despite rising energy demands from AI infrastructure.
Why it matters
This deal represents a significant investment in agricultural climate-tech and highlights the growing pressure on tech giants to offset the environmental footprint of AI development.
Google has agreed to buy 1 million carbon credits from Indian climate-tech startup Mitti Labs through 2030, in what the companies say is the largest publicly announced deal to date for credits generated from cutting methane emissions in rice farming.
The four-year agreement will cover rice farms across the Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, reaching about 100,000 hectares at peak delivery, Mitti Labs co-founder Xavier Laguarta said in an interview. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The project will pay farmers to adopt practices that reduce how long rice fields remain flooded, cutting methane released during cultivation while also reducing water use. Mitti Labs says the technique can cut methane emissions by about 50% and irrigation water use by about 40% without reducing crop yields.
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