Promoting Vietnam’s Decarbonization by Utilizing 62,000 Hectares of Rice Paddy in Nghe An Province.
Green Carbon Co., Ltd. (CEO: Jun Okita), a company engaged in nature-based carbon credit generation and sales, is pleased to announce that its “Methane Gas Reduction Project through AWD Implementation in Rice Paddies” (hereinafter referred to as “the Project”), currently being developed in Nghe An Province, Central North Vietnam, has been accepted and officially listed under the Gold Standard for Voluntary Credits*¹ as the first project of its kind in Vietnam and Japan in mid-April 2025.
In Nghe An Province, the introduction of AWD*² technology is being implemented in large-scale rice paddies with irrigation facilities. In the first year, several pilot fields have already been tested. Moving forward, the project aims to expand the target area to approximately 62,000 hectares, with a goal of generating a total of approximately 2.5 million carbon credits over the next 10 years, through to 2034.
On April 1, 2025, Green Carbon Co., Ltd. also announced that its application for the VM0051 Rice Paddy Project, located in An Giang Province in Southern Vietnam, was accepted and officially listed under the Verra*³ Voluntary Credit Standard. With this achievement, Green Carbon becomes the world’s first company to have rice paddy projects listed under both the Gold Standard and Verra standards.
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○Download the company profile of Green Carbon Co., Ltd. here.
◆Background of the Project Registration
Green Carbon is actively engaged in the creation of nature-based carbon credits, primarily in Southeast Asia. The company is involved in a wide range of initiatives including forest conservation, rice paddy management, mangrove planting, methane reduction from cattle, and biochar projects. Green Carbon develops carbon credit generation projects that are tailored to the unique natural resources of each region, and ensures efficient and transparent project management through the use of satellite data for site selection and monitoring.
Since the 2024 fiscal year, Green Carbon has begun projects in Vietnam, partnering with the Nghe An Agricultural Market Forum (AMPF), based in Nghe An Province. The partnership focuses on promoting agricultural decarbonization activities and generating carbon credits. This collaboration has advanced through various comprehensive initiatives.
In this project, the company introduced AWD (Alternate Wetting and Drying) technology to rice-growing regions where continuous irrigation is traditionally used, achieving both efficient water use and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The project was submitted to the Gold Standard and, in April 2025, was accepted and officially listed. Moving forward, Green Carbon aims to promote sustainable agriculture and improve productivity by optimizing water management and fertilizer use in collaboration with local farmers.
〇Reference: Gold Standard Website – Project Registration Page
〇Gold Standard Project Registration URL
Additionally, Green Carbon has published the “AWD Project Report: Vietnam 2024,” which summarizes the demonstration results of methane gas emission reductions, water usage reductions, increased yields, and improved farmer incomes through the implementation of AWD in six areas, primarily in Nghe An Province, Central North Vietnam.
〇Download the “AWD Project Report: Vietnam 2024” here.
◆Future Developments
| ① Expansion of AWD Technology |
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| Currently, the implementation of AWD technology has demonstrated significant reductions in water usage while maintaining or improving yields. Going forward, we aim to expand this technology to more regions, targeting not only methane gas reduction but also lowering water usage costs for farmers and reducing the risk of pests and diseases. |
| ② Contribution to Vietnam’s 1 Million Hectare Project |
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| The “1 Million Hectare Project,” announced in November 2023, is a priority initiative led by the Vietnamese government to promote high-quality and environmentally sustainable rice farming across 1 million hectares of rice paddies in the Mekong Delta region by 2030. Led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), which functions similarly to Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, the project is implemented in collaboration with international organizations and development partners. Green Carbon is advancing its methane reduction projects using AWD technology in Vietnam and officially joined the “1 Million Hectare Project” as the first Japanese company in August 2024. The company has established a branch in Vietnam and signed MOUs with 22 provinces to develop projects. Green Carbon is not only contributing to the creation of carbon credits but also supporting the establishment of rice production management systems that meet both domestic and international export standards, thus helping increase farmers’ incomes. As part of the “1 Million Hectare Project,” Green Carbon is currently conducting pilot demonstrations of methane gas reduction through the implementation of AWD in three areas of the Mekong Delta (Can Tho City, Bac Lieu Province, and Soc Trang Province) in collaboration with the Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute (CLRRI*⁴). In the first season of 2025, positive results, such as methane reduction and increased rice yields, have already been achieved in each area. |
| ③ Export Expansion of Japonica Rice |
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| Through partnerships with local farmers, we are working to improve yields, promote water resource management technologies, and strengthen the production management of Japonica rice. We are also focusing on expanding exports to high-value markets such as Japan. Currently, Japan is facing issues such as rising rice prices and rice shortages due to a combination of factors, including reduced rice production policies and intermittent extreme weather. To address this, it is necessary to rely on imported rice; however, Japan’s strict quality standards make it difficult to import rice from overseas. In response, Green Carbon is not only contributing to carbon credit generation through this project but is also working with partners in Vietnam, such as Loc Troi Group*⁵ (the largest rice producer in Vietnam) and local export companies, to improve pesticide management, production systems, and rice quality. We are actively working on the export of Japonica rice that meets Japan’s quality standards, contributing to solving Japan’s rice shortage issue. |
*1 Gold Standard
The Gold Standard is a certification body established with the background of the United Nations Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). It is a high-standard certification system that requires not only greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions but also contributions to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The introduction of the AWD method in agriculture for methane reduction is evaluated as an activity that contributes to both GHG reduction and the sustainable use of water resources.
*2 AWD (Alternate Wetting and Drying)
Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) is a method where the water level in the rice paddies is monitored, and water is alternated between flooding and natural drying every few days. Compared to continuous flooding, AWD reduces water usage and contributes to the conservation of water resources.
*3：Verra
Founded in 2005 by three organizations: the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), and The Climate Group, Verra is now managed by a private entity. The VCS (Verified Carbon Standard) refers to the certification standard for credits issued from greenhouse gas reduction projects conducted by companies, organizations, and individuals. It is the most widely used certification standard globally. The VCS allows for the reduction or sequestration of greenhouse gas emissions to be treated as credits, which have been gaining attention in recent years. These credits certify the reduction of greenhouse gases and can be traded like conventional products.
*4：CLRRI
The Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute (CLRRI) is a government agency based in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam, specializing in rice farming research. It plays a crucial role in Vietnam’s agricultural science and promotes innovative research in the field.
*5：Loc Troi Group
Loc Troi Group began its agricultural seed business in June 2005 by selling hybrid corn and hybrid rice seeds, and expanded its production and business activities in the agricultural sector starting in 2010. The company provides excellent seed sets that bring increased productivity and higher efficiency per planted area to farmers across Vietnam, improving their quality of life and helping them prosper. Additionally, it aims to enhance the production efficiency and business performance of farmers and the business community by integrating smart agriculture technologies.
◆ Green Carbon, Inc.
Representative ：Jun Okita, CEO
Location ：Isal AKASAKA607, 5-2-33 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Establishment ：December 2019
Business ：Carbon credit creation and sales business, agriculture-related business, environment-related business, other related businesses and ESG consulting business
URL ： https://green-carbon.co.jp/
◆Introduction to Green Carbon, Inc.
Green Carbon operates with the vision of “Saving the Earth with the Power of Life,” providing comprehensive support from carbon credit creation, registration, to sales. Additionally, we are involved in agriculture-related businesses, research and development, ESG consulting, among others. Our main focus is on generation carbon credits through methane gas reduction in rice paddies, where we have obtained certification for J-Credits, the first and largest in Japan (approximately 6,220 tons), and plan to expand to around 50,000 hectares in the fiscal year 2024. We also offer a service called “Agreen” that integrates credit registration, application, and sales into one platform, simplifying procedures such as application registration and document preparation, thus reducing the workload for credit creators.