Microsoft buys over 970,000 tonnes of forest carbon removal credits

Microsoft agreed to buy over 970,000 tonnes of nature-based carbon removal credits from Anew Climate, generated through improved forest management projects in the US. The deal extends a wave of large corporate removal purchases that shapes demand and pricing in carbon markets relevant to Indian project developers.

Microsoft and Anew Climate announced a nature-based carbon removal agreement under which Anew will supply over 970,000 tonnes of carbon removal credits from improved forest management (IFM) projects across the United States. Founded in 2001 and largely owned by TPG Rise, Texas-based Anew specialises in technological and nature-based climate solutions. The credits come from forestlands owned by Aurora Sustainable Lands, Acadian Timber Corp., and Baskahegan Company, where IFM projects prevent net emissions and actively remove carbon through tree growth.

Carbon removal developers, forest landowners, and corporate buyers pursuing net-zero and carbon-negative goals are affected. The deal supports Microsoft's aim to become carbon negative by 2030 and follows a 3-million-tonne reforestation deal with re.green in May. Microsoft, alongside Google, Meta, and Salesforce, introduced a 20-million-tonne advance market commitment to grow the nature-based removal market. Forestry asset owners like Aurora Sustainable Lands, Acadian Timber, and Baskahegan benefit from monetising improved forest management.

Carbon project developers and forest landowners should monitor how large buyers like Microsoft structure rapidly expanding nature-based removal deals and how advance market commitments signal future demand. Companies pursuing carbon-negative targets should track the role of improved forest management credits within broader removal portfolios. Indian forestry and carbon-project developers should watch how corporate offtake at this scale influences nature-based removal pricing, quality expectations, and demand growth toward 2030 net-zero deadlines.

Key figure — Carbon removal credits purchased: over 970,000 tonnes from improved forest management