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🗞️ Driving the news: Apple has launched a new sustainable forest management project in California’s coastal redwood region, expanding its global portfolio of nature-based carbon removal investments
• The initiative, developed in partnership with The Conservation Fund, will restore and protect the Gualala River Forest in Mendocino County — one of North America’s most ecologically rich redwood ecosystems
• The project will generate verified carbon credits while supporting biodiversity and local livelihoods
🔭 The context: The initiative is part of Apple’s Restore Fund, launched in 2021 with Conservation International and Goldman Sachs to mobilize private capital for ecosystem restoration and high-quality carbon removal
• The fund, which has since grown through contributions from Apple suppliers TSMC and Murata, has invested in over two dozen projects across six continents
• Apple’s goal is to become carbon neutral by 2030, with a 75% emissions reduction target from 2015 levels and the remaining balance achieved through durable, high-integrity removals
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Apple’s new project underscores growing corporate investment in nature-based carbon solutions at a time of skepticism toward low-quality offsets
• By partnering with conservation organizations and focusing on measurable ecological outcomes, Apple aims to demonstrate how corporate funding can restore degraded forests while producing credible carbon removals
• The Gualala project’s focus on sustainable forest management also enhances wildfire resilience and long-term carbon storage, key for climate adaptation in California’s vulnerable landscapes
⏭️ What's next: Apple and The Conservation Fund will monitor the project’s carbon sequestration, biodiversity recovery, and community benefits over several decades
• The forest will continue to supply sustainably managed timber while generating credits from verified carbon gains
• Apple’s broader Restore Fund pipeline targets 9.6 million metric tons of annual CO₂ removal by 2030, and future projects are expected across Latin America and Southeast Asia as the company seeks to expand its supply-chain decarbonization strategy
💬 One quote: “Forests are one of the most powerful technologies we have for removing carbon from the atmosphere. Our global investments in nature are leveraging that technology while supporting communities and enhancing biodiversity.” – Lisa Jackson, Apple Vice President for Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives
📈 One stat: Apple has already reduced its operational emissions by over 60% since 2015 and aims to remove 9.6 million metric tons of CO₂ annually through nature-based carbon removal projects by 2030
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