Google and McKinsey contract 320,000 tonnes of carbon removal from working trees

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🗞️ Driving the news: Google and McKinsey have collectively contracted 320,000 tonnes of carbon removal over 10 years from Working Trees, a Brazilian silvopasture project supported by the Symbiosis Coalition
• The initiative integrates trees into cattle pastures to remove carbon while maintaining agricultural production

🔭 The context: The project covers 50,000 hectares across the southeastern Amazon and central Cerrado, with 8,700 hectares designated for restoration
• Working Trees combines commercial timber species, including African mahogany and teak, with native trees
• The minimum native-species share is set to rise from 25% to 50% by 2030
• The agreements' prices and start dates have not been disclosed

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Silvopasture can help restore degraded pastures, increase carbon storage and reduce pressure to clear additional land
• Native trees can support biodiversity, habitat quality and ecosystem resilience, while commercial timber can provide ranchers with additional income
• However, the project's long-term climate benefits would depend on carbon accounting, tree survival, harvesting practices and the permanence of stored carbon

⏭️ What’s next: Working Trees is set to pursue its million-hectare silvopasture ambition, building on an earlier pilot covering more than 2,000 hectares
• The native-tree target and collaboration with Brazilian research institutes will be important to monitor
• The reported removal volume also requires clarification: the article cites 320,000 tonnes, while a separate announcement reportedly gives 270,000 tonnes

💬 One quote: “Native trees help projects move beyond a ‘carbon-only’ objective by supporting local biodiversity, habitat quality, and wider ecosystem resilience,” said Daniel Piotto, Associate Professor of Dendrology at the Federal University of Southern Bahia, Brazil, and Symbiosis Coalition Technical Advisory Board Member

📈 One stat: 320,000 tonnes — the combined carbon-removal volume Google and McKinsey have contracted over 10 years, according to the article

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