By Abbas Nazil
Microsoft has signed a long-term agreement to purchase up to 1.8 million carbon removal credits from Rainforest Builder in support of a major forest restoration initiative in Sierra Leone.
The deal, which will run for 15 years, is tied to Project Buffalo, a large-scale reforestation programme designed to restore degraded land and expand carbon removal efforts in West Africa.
Under the agreement, the project will restore approximately 15,000 hectares of community land in Sierra Leone and plant more than 10 million trees as part of efforts to rebuild native rainforest ecosystems.
The initiative focuses on the Upper Guinean Forest, one of the world’s most biodiverse but heavily threatened rainforest regions.
Experts say the agreement represents one of the largest carbon removal credit deals tied to a single project in Africa and reflects growing confidence in the continent’s carbon markets.
The partnership also supports Microsoft’s broader climate strategy, which aims to make the company carbon negative by 2030 and remove all historical emissions by 2050.
Rainforest Builder currently operates in Sierra Leone, Ghana and Guinea and employs more than 2,500 people across its projects.
Since 2023, the company has planted more than 1.8 million trees in Sierra Leone as part of early restoration work, with the new agreement expected to significantly expand planting activities.
Unlike short-term offset agreements, the 15-year purchase commitment provides long-term revenue certainty that will help finance restoration activities, workforce training and environmental monitoring systems.
Project Buffalo also seeks to reverse decades of ecological damage in the Upper Guinean Forest region, where more than 90 percent of the original forest has been lost due to logging, agriculture and land degradation.
In Sierra Leone, old-growth forest now covers less than one percent of the country’s total land area, leaving many species confined to fragmented habitats, NatureNews learnt.
By restoring native tree species across thousands of hectares, the project aims to rebuild wildlife habitats, strengthen carbon storage and reconnect forest ecosystems.
Reforestation projects such as Project Buffalo remove carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere and store it in vegetation and soil, making them an increasingly important tool in global climate mitigation efforts.
Rainforest Builder oversees the initiative with guidance from a scientific advisory board and works with regional research institutions to improve species selection and restoration techniques.
Beyond environmental goals, the project is expected to deliver economic benefits to local communities.
NatureNews notes that in 2025 alone, Project Buffalo employed about 1,200 people, and employment is expected to grow as planting expands toward the target of 10 million trees.
The programme also includes community land leasing arrangements, agricultural support for smallholder farmers, rural road improvements and a development fund for local communities.
Supporters say these measures ensure residents remain long-term partners in the restoration process.
The project also reflects the growing role of Africa in global carbon markets.
Although the continent contributes less than four percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, it faces some of the most severe climate impacts, including extreme weather and land degradation.
Analysts estimate that high-quality carbon credits from Africa could generate billions of dollars annually while creating millions of jobs in sectors linked to conservation and ecosystem restoration.
Deals such as the Microsoft-Rainforest Builder agreement are therefore seen as important steps toward strengthening demand for credible carbon removal projects while unlocking new economic opportunities across the region.
