Olympic Rainforest Project Attracts Major Investment From Meta and Microsoft

In a move that underscores the growing corporate appetite for high-quality carbon removal, Meta and Microsoft have secured long-term deals to purchase a combined 1.4 million carbon credits from a forest conservation project on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. This large-scale investment highlights a shift toward nature-based solutions with lasting environmental and community impact.

Forestry workers planting trees in Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. Ai generated picture.

The credits originate from 68,000 acres of forestland managed by EFM, a U.S.-based forestry investment firm. The project is supported by Climate Asset Management (CAM), a joint venture between HSBC Asset Management and Pollination. It applies improved forest management (IFM) techniques, such as longer harvest cycles, low-impact logging, and selective cutting approaches designed to increase carbon storage, enhance biodiversity, and support sustainable forestry practices.

According to James Bullen, Head of Asset Management at CAM, ‘Blending timber income, conservation easements, and carbon credits can simultaneously de-risk and enhance returns... The Olympic Rainforest shows how corporates can mobilise capital at scale for high-integrity climate outcomes that complement, not replace, emissions reductions.’

Meta’s 10-year agreement with EFM will provide 676,000 carbon credits by 2035. This contributes to its goal of achieving net-zero emissions across its entire value chain by 2030. While Meta has already reached net-zero for its operational footprint and runs entirely on renewable energy, the tech giant continues to address indirect (Scope 3) emissions through projects like this and others involving soil carbon and direct air capture.

Microsoft, which aims to become carbon negative by 2030 and erase its historical emissions by 2050, is purchasing 700,000 credits through a similar deal. The company has also invested in EFM’s Fund IV, a $300 million vehicle supporting sustainable forestry across the U.S.—a move that could provide access to millions more credits over time.

These deals illustrate a growing trend: large corporations are moving away from short-term carbon credit purchases toward long-term offtake agreements. This approach supports market stability, boosts project integrity, and accelerates funding for impactful environmental solutions.

Forests like those in the Olympic Peninsula are increasingly being recognised for their critical role in drawing down atmospheric CO₂, making them a cornerstone of credible green strategies for the private sector.