Meta Partners With EFM for 10-Year Carbon Removal Deal

Meta has entered into a decade-long agreement with EFM to source 676,000 nature-based carbon credits by 2035. These credits will be generated from the transformation of the Olympic Rainforest, a vast 68,000-acre expanse in Washington State, from industrial logging to climate-smart forestry. The deal represents a significant step in Meta’s commitment to achieving net zero emissions across its value chain by 2030, reinforcing its investment in high-impact nature-based carbon removal projects.

EFM, a leading forestry investment and management firm, is transitioning the Olympic Rainforest away from conventional logging toward sustainable forestry practices that enhance carbon sequestration while preserving biodiversity. The shift is expected to generate over 1 million tonnes of CO₂ removals over the next decade. This project is part of Meta's overall climate strategy, which also involves its participation in the Symbiosis Coalition, a collaborative effort with Microsoft, Google, and Salesforce to speed up carbon credit creation.

"This long-term agreement will enable the company to sustainably manage forests in a manner that optimizes their value to society," said EFM CEO Bettina von Hagen. This agreement allows us to harvest high-quality timber and create a variety of healthy wildlife habitats, improve recreational opportunities, and co-operate with Indigenous communities in restoring salmon populations. All this will be done while sequestering significantly more carbon," she said. Von Hagen thanked Meta for acknowledging the importance of forests in reducing climate change and funding projects that increase the long-term value of these natural resources.

For Meta, this project is a strategic step towards acquiring high-quality carbon removals that are consistent with its climate goals. Tracy Johns, Meta's Carbon Removal Lead, highlighted the need to invest in projects not only that help sequester carbon but also give real-world environmental and social co-benefits. "EFM's significant experience with sustainable forest management made them an ideal partner for the initiative," said Johns. "By committing to this project, EFM has embraced a forest management strategy that produces robust climate results in addition to offering genuine value to the surrounding communities."

One of the distinguishing features of this pact is the fact that Meta's pledge was obtained prior to EFM securing the purchase of the Olympic Rainforest. Usually, carbon removal credits are agreed upon once a property has been acquired and transitioned. Here, Meta's early engagement was instrumental in de-risking the purchase and supporting EFM's shift to climate-smart forestry. This forward-looking financial support allowed EFM to raise funds from required investments, including those from its own capital and third-party investors such as the Natural Capital Fund, managed by Climate Asset Management.

EFM's climate-smart forestry strategy will target several ecological and economic advantages. Besides sequestering significant quantities of carbon dioxide from the air, the company will seek to almost double timber inventories over the next 15 years. This will enable the production of more valuable timber while ensuring forest health. Additionally, the program will help restore salmon habitats, enhance tribal cultural harvesting practices, and increase public access for recreation and tourism.

Through the proactive investment in carbon removal such as this project, Meta not only further moves its own sustainability agenda but is also leading by example in the way that large-scale environmental remediation can be driven by corporate entities. The transaction highlights the potential of private sector capital involvement in ecosystem repair, demonstrating the possibility of sustainably harvested wood being both environmental and economically acceptable. In contrast to carbon offset buys of the past, which frequently take place subsequent to emissions, Meta's solution puts climate finance up front during conservation, such that the conservation itself directly results in preservation and build-out of natural carbon sinks.

The Meta-EFM deal represents a wider trend in corporate climate strategy, with companies not merely offsetting emissions but directly investing in restoring ecosystems. As companies increasingly look for effective and meaningful means of fulfilling their sustainability goals, deals like this might set an example for how to balance long-term environmental and financial rewards.

With the help of Meta, EFM's Olympic Rainforest project will have the potential to prove the impact of sustainable forest economies, exemplifying how the right land stewardship can be both climate-favorable and economically resilient. By putting forward biodiversity, indigenous partnerships, and community participation at the forefront, this project signifies the changing approach of companies toward addressing global climatic issues with the support of local environmental governance.