Microsoft has entered into a decade-long agreement with Anew Climate and Aurora Sustainable Lands to purchase 4.8 million nature-based carbon removal credits, marking one of the largest forest carbon removal initiatives in the United States.
The credits will be generated through Improved Forest Management (IFM) projects across 425,000 acres of forestland in New York, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Florida. The forests are owned and managed by Aurora Sustainable Lands, with Anew Climate overseeing project development.
The removals will be among the first to be issued under the ACR’s updated IFM v2.1 protocol, which incorporates dynamic baselines, enhanced monitoring, and greater transparency in carbon accounting. The deal is expected to support investments and job creation in timberland communities.
“This agreement sets a new standard for nature-based carbon removals, pairing technical rigour with environmental stewardship at scale,” said Angela Schwarz, CEO of Anew Climate. “Microsoft’s collaboration enables innovation that benefits the broader market and accelerates our collective path to net zero.”
At the core of the initiative is Anew’s Epoch Evaluation Platform, a system that uses machine learning, satellite imagery, drone data, and field measurements to track and validate forest carbon data. The project exceeds registry requirements and includes extended monitoring and perpetual working forest easements to meet Microsoft’s standards for quality and durability.
“This agreement with Anew and Aurora reflects our commitment to advancing the integrity and impact of improved forest management,” said Brian Marrs, Senior Director, Energy & Carbon Removal at Microsoft. “We believe transparent and high-integrity nature-based carbon removal is important to meeting Microsoft’s Carbon Negative 2030 goal.”
Jamie Houston, CEO of Aurora Sustainable Lands, noted the vertically integrated nature of the initiative. “Aurora Sustainable Lands is distinctive because we are the landowner and operator, managing everything from root to credit. This comprehensive approach ensures the highest integrity and quality of our carbon credits.”
Delivery of carbon removal credits is scheduled to begin in 2025, at a time when high-quality nature-based removal options remain limited globally.
