Taiwan's Central Taiwan Science Park companies are turning tree trimmings into biochar and earning the island's first international carbon credits, a small win for both air quality and disabled workers.

• Air pollution in Taichung still comes mostly from local sources, pushing science park firms to cut emissions together.
• One company built a shipping-container-sized machine that bakes tree branches into biochar, which locks carbon into soil permanently.
• That biochar earned Taiwan's first international carbon sink certificate and European certification, so it can be sold on global carbon markets.
• TSMC's Taichung zero-waste plant is capturing carbon and recycling chemicals, cutting waste sent outside by a large amount each year.
• Biochar is also going into low-carbon cement, a low-carbon treadmill, and a houseplant gift box that sends part of each sale to disability groups.

Outlook: Expect more Taiwanese firms to chase certified carbon credits as buyers look for verified carbon removal.