Carbon Removal Meets Compliance: Navigating the Legal Landscape for Biochar Projects

​Our Co-Founder Jason Dodier will be joined by Peter Mayer, Partner at Stairs Dillenbeck Finley Mayer PLLC (SDFM.nyc), for a deep dive into the legal backbone of biochar and carbon removal projects, from contracts to compliance. Together, they’ll unpack how to structure airtight offtake, lease, and feedstock agreements, safeguard credit integrity, navigate permitting and zoning, and align financing with investor protections. The discussion will also cover risk management tools, insurance mechanisms, and the latest policy shifts, including FOFA, USDA 336, state biochar incentives, and tax credits, shaping the next generation of compliant, financeable carbon projects.

Peter Mayer is a New York based attorney who advises start-ups and emerging growth technology companies on corporate and commercial matters, with a particular focus on climate tech, carbon projects, and the voluntary carbon market. He works with climate tech start-ups developing decarbonization solutions; project developers and investors engaged in nature-based and technology-based carbon removal projects; and biochar producers advancing durable carbon removal. Peter also supports marketplaces and other stakeholders on the standardization of commercial contracts for voluntary carbon market transactions, including spot sales, offtake and pre-purchase agreements, and brokerage arrangements.