Microsoft has agreed to purchase 1.4 million tons of carbon removal credits from Living Carbon's, a public benefit company transforming degraded and underutilized land into environmental assets, U.S.-based reforestation projects.
The credits will be generated through Living Carbon's reforestation of 25,000 acres of degraded lands in the broader Appalachian region, with a primary focus on areas previously impacted by coal mining.
Microgrids, RNG and Carbon Credits
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Living Carbon's projects restore forest cover on former mine lands, many of which are ecologically and economically underutilized for decades. The company’s restoration activities also produce co-benefits like improved soil and water health, enhanced biodiversity, and new economic development opportunities in historically underserved rural communities.
Living Carbon's site preparation and the selection of native species could improve the quality of the soil and viability of the landscape. The projects address climate, ecological, and economic recovery in tandem by targeting the underutilized sites.
Isometric will verify and issue all carbon removal credits delivered to Microsoft under this agreement supported by the former’s Reforestation Protocol. The protocol, certified in November, sets a new standard for scientific rigor and transparency in reforestation with tech-first quantification, dynamic baselines and advanced approaches to leakage and lifecycle assessment.
Companies such as Microsoft purchase carbon removal credits to invest in outside decarbonization strategies and boost their reported net emissions profiles. Many of these firms have net-zero goals but have learned that supply chains and Scope 3 emissions are difficult to control.
