This week, Microsoft announced yet another carbon dioxide removal (CDR) deal, this time with reforestation company Living Carbon.
The two companies signed an agreement through which Microsoft bought 1.4 million tons of CDR credits generated from Living Carbon’s reforestation operations in the United States, centered around restoring degraded mine lands.
A true beacon of carbon removal investments, Microsoft has been actively locking in deals with different CDR providers, weaving a network of projects to support the company’s vision of becoming carbon negative by 2030.
With this deal, Living Carbon joins a portfolio of impactful decarbonization developers backed by Microsoft, including Fidelis’ AtmosClear, Terradot, CO280, Chestnut Carbon, re.green, The Next 150, and others.
Brian Marrs, Senior Director for Energy & Carbon Removal at Microsoft, commented, “We are pleased to support this project as part of Microsoft’s broader portfolio of high-quality carbon removal solutions. Uniquely targeted nature-based projects like this address systemic challenges while also generating positive climate and ecological outcomes.”
To deliver the CDR credits, Living Carbon will reforest 25,000 acres of degraded lands in the broader Appalachian region, planting a curated selection of species native to the region.
By reforesting land at abandoned mines, Living Carbon aims to improve the soil quality and the environmental landscape, helping restore these exhausted sites that, according to the company, would otherwise be at risk from erosion, toxic metal content, and invasive species.
Relevant: Microsoft Inks The World’s Largest Permanent CDR Deal With AtmosClear And Fidelis
Through its reforestation operations, Living Carbon also generates carbon removal credits, which pique the interest of CDR buyers and provide an income source for communities in rural areas.
The company’s CDR and environmental restoration approach has received support from various investors, including Temasek, Toyota Ventures, Felicis, and Lowercarbon Capital.
Living Carbon CEO and co-founder Maddie Hall stated, “We’re proud to be working with Microsoft to advance high-quality reforestation and unlock the potential of some of the most challenging yet important lands in the U.S.—not only for carbon removal, but also for restoring ecosystems and supporting the return of these lands to productivity.”
Read more: Massive Deal Between Microsoft And CO280 Paves The Way For Pulp And Paper Decarbonization
