Ithaka Consulting

The Ithaka Institute provides scientific and strategic consulting on carbon strategies — from carbon farming to pyrolysis technology and from carbon materials to international certification frameworks. The work draws on 15+ years of applied research, field implementation across four continents, and direct involvement in creating much of the standards infrastructure the biochar and C-sink industry now operates on. We assist where science is non-trivial and the leverage is real.

Carbon Certification & Standards

The Ithaka Institute developed the first biochar and carbon sink standards in 2011 and 2020, respectively and has been building certification infrastructure for negative emissions. Current work includes C-sink methodology development, MRV system design, and the certification and registration architecture for temporary C-sink and GHG offsetting - enabling smallholder and community-scale producers to enter the carbon market with verifiable, high-integrity sink claims. We advise standard-setting bodies, registries, dMRV providers, and corporations navigating the CDR certification landscape.

Technical Auditing

We conduct technical audits for pyrolysis technology globally — assessing production systems, feedstock management, biochar quality, emission testing, carbon efficiency, sampling, analysis and process documentation against certification scheme requirements. Where gaps exist, we help producers meet the thresholds.

Carbon Strategies & Climate Modelling

Strategic consulting on CDR pathways, carbon sink quantification, planetary carbon recycling, and the integration of C-sink strategies into corporate and public-sector climate frameworks. We bring direct experience in methodology design, PDD development, and the boundary conditions that determine whether a carbon claim holds under scrutiny.

Material Design

Development of biochar-based functional materials and carbon composites. The institute works on biochar composite material design, including NanoC additives for high-performance fibre composites — technology proven in World Cup-winning snowboard construction. Further applications include construction materials, thermoplastics, geotechnical substrates, filtration media, and packaging

Carbon Farming & Tropical Agriculture

Long-term programme design for climate-resilient farming systems, with particular depth in tropical and subtropical regions. The focus is systemic: crop diversification, agroforestry, soil biology, nutrient cycling - building agricultural systems that sequester carbon and increase biodiversity as a structural consequence of good practice. Biochar production and use is often one component within these systems. The institute operates a globally unique long-term field experiment in Nepal comparing carbon farming systems.

Climate Policy & Urban Systems

Advisory work for municipalities, national agencies, and development organisations on climate mitigation and adaptation strategy, municipal carbon balances, and C-sink management. This often includes pyrolysis of organic feedstock and extends to the full spectrum of land-based and material carbon sinks, urban green infrastructure, and the policy frameworks needed to govern them.