Microsoft has entered a 15-year agreement to purchase 1.8 million carbon removal credits from Sierra Leone’s Project Buffalo, marking a significant shift towards long-term, nature-based solutions and boosting Africa’s role in global carbon markets.
Microsoft has struck a long-term offtake agreement with Rainforest Builder to purchase up to 1.8 million carbon dioxide removal credits from Project Buffalo in Sierra Leone over 15 years, a deal that industry observers say ranks among the largest single‑project nature‑based removals announced in Africa.
The arrangement will finance the restoration of 15,000 hectares of degraded community land in the Upper Guinean Forest, with Rainforest Builder planning to establish more than 10 million native trees to rebuild fragmented rainforest ecosystems. According to Rainforest Builder, its Sierra Leone team has already planted more than 1.8 million trees since 2023 and directly employed about 1,200 people in 2025; employment is expected to expand as planting intensifies and operations scale up.
For corporate buyers and project developers, the multi‑year contract exemplifies a shift away from short‑term offsets toward longer‑duration revenue certainty that underpins capital deployment, workforce development and rigorous monitoring. Rainforest Builder operates with a science‑led approach, supported by a Scientific Advisory Board and partnerships with regional research institutions, aiming to optimise species‑site matching and improve survival rates through field trials. The company says Project Buffalo will prioritise native species and community tenure arrangements, rather than monoculture plantations or land displacement.
Microsoft frames the purchase as part of its broader climate commitments. The company has publicly committed to become carbon negative by 2030 and to address historical emissions by 2050, and in recent years has focused procurement on carbon dioxide removal rather than avoided‑emissions credits. In fiscal 2024 Microsoft entered long‑term contracts for roughly 22 million metric tonnes of removals, with a portion contributing directly to its near‑term carbon‑negativity target. The firm has also experimented with outcome‑based finance in nature projects and refined commercial structures and due‑diligence criteria for high‑quality removals.
Market analysts and sector initiatives highlight the potential economic upside for Africa if high‑integrity projects scale. Government and industry estimates cited in the coverage indicate that credible African carbon credits could generate several billion dollars annually by 2030, with longer‑term projections into the mid‑century suggesting much larger sums and substantial job creation. Initiatives such as the Africa Carbon Markets Initiative have mobilised finance and purchase commitments to accelerate supply.
Yet the deal underscores recurring questions for buyers, developers and policymakers about permanence, measurement and governance in nature‑based removals. Project Buffalo’s emphasis on long contract tenors, scientific oversight, biodiversity co‑benefits and community benefit‑sharing is designed to address those concerns. The package of benefits cited by Rainforest Builder includes community land leasing, smallholder agricultural support, rural infrastructure upgrades and a community development fund intended to embed local stakeholders in long‑term stewardship.
Restoration in the Upper Guinean Forest has both climatic and ecological implications. Once a contiguous tropical corridor rich in endemic species, the landscape has been severely reduced by logging, agricultural expansion and degradation; in Sierra Leone, old‑growth forest now represents a tiny fraction of land area. Reestablishing native forest cover aims to enhance carbon sequestration while rebuilding habitat and connectivity for species that survive in fragmented remnants.
The agreement therefore operates at the intersection of corporate climate strategy and development finance: long‑dated purchase commitments create investment certainty for developers, while projects claim to deliver measurable removals, biodiversity recovery and local socio‑economic impacts. As voluntary markets continue to evolve and discussions around Article 6 and other compliance mechanisms progress, deals that combine transparency, scientific verification and community safeguards will be closely watched by buyers seeking credible removal supply and by host countries seeking sustainable economic opportunity.
- https://carboncredits.com/microsoft-secures-1-8m-carbon-credits-from-africas-rainforest-builder/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://carboncredits.com/microsoft-secures-1-8m-carbon-credits-from-africas-rainforest-builder/ – Microsoft has entered into a long-term agreement with Rainforest Builder, a West African tropical forest restoration company, to purchase up to 1.8 million carbon removal credits over 15 years. This partnership supports Project Buffalo in Sierra Leone, aiming to restore 15,000 hectares of degraded land by planting over 10 million trees, thereby rebuilding native forest ecosystems in the Upper Guinean Forest. The initiative also provides long-term revenue certainty, financing restoration, workforce development, and monitoring systems, contributing to Microsoft’s goal of becoming carbon negative by 2030.
- https://www.rainforestbuilder.com/post/rainforest-builder-sells-carbon-removal-credits-to-microsoft-from-project-buffalo-in-sierra-leone – Rainforest Builder has signed an agreement with Microsoft to deliver up to 1.8 million carbon removal credits over 15 years from Project Buffalo in Sierra Leone. The project aims to restore 15,000 hectares of degraded land by planting over 10 million trees, rebuilding native forest ecosystems in the Upper Guinean Forest. This partnership marks one of the largest carbon removal transactions from a single project in Africa to date, highlighting the growing confidence in Africa’s high-integrity carbon markets and supporting Microsoft’s commitment to becoming carbon negative by 2030.
- https://esgworldwide.org/24th-february-2026/ – Microsoft has entered into a major multi-year agreement to purchase up to 1.8 million tonnes of carbon removal credits from West Africa-based Rainforest Builder, aimed at restoring degraded rainforest landscapes in Sierra Leone. The 15-year deal will support the planting of over 10 million trees across 15,000 hectares through Rainforest Builder’s Project Buffalo, helping to sequester carbon while regenerating habitat for threatened wildlife and bolstering local ecosystems. Beyond environmental gains, the project is expected to bring significant social benefits, including direct employment for more than 1,200 people and community development initiatives such as improved infrastructure and agricultural support. The agreement forms part of Microsoft’s broader climate strategy to become carbon negative by 2030 and to remove all its historical emissions by 2050, reinforcing its position as one of the world’s largest corporate purchasers of carbon removal credits.
- https://carbon-pulse.com/486532/ – A London-headquartered tropical forest restoration company has signed a long-term offtake agreement to supply up to 1.8 million carbon removal credits to Microsoft over 15 years, in one of the largest carbon removal transactions from a single project in Africa to date. The agreement supports Project Buffalo in Sierra Leone, aiming to restore 15,000 hectares of degraded land by planting over 10 million trees, rebuilding native forest ecosystems in the Upper Guinean Forest. This partnership underscores the growing confidence in Africa’s high-integrity carbon markets and aligns with Microsoft’s commitment to becoming carbon negative by 2030.
- https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4526027/landmark-agreement-microsoft-inks-co2-removal-deal-rainforest-builder – Microsoft has inked an agreement to purchase 1.8 million tonnes of carbon credits over a 15-year period from West Africa-based tropical rainforest restoration specialists Rainforest Builder, in a deal that supports Project Buffalo in Sierra Leone. The project aims to restore 15,000 hectares of degraded land by planting over 10 million trees, rebuilding native forest ecosystems in the Upper Guinean Forest. This partnership highlights the growing confidence in Africa’s high-integrity carbon markets and reinforces Microsoft’s commitment to becoming carbon negative by 2030.
- https://sustainablestories.africa/news/microsofts-1-8-million-ton-bet-on-african-rainforest-carbon-markets – Microsoft has signed a 1.8-million-ton carbon removal agreement to restore degraded African rainforest, marking one of the largest nature-based climate deals on the continent. The multi-year partnership aims to combine biodiversity recovery with high-integrity carbon credits, positioning Africa as a serious player in global removal markets. The agreement signals growing corporate confidence in African climate assets, but also raises questions about governance, permanence, and benefit-sharing. This deal underscores Microsoft’s commitment to becoming carbon negative by 2030 and supports the restoration of the Upper Guinean Forest in Sierra Leone.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The article was published on March 3, 2026, reporting on a deal announced on February 24, 2026. ([carboncredits.com](https://carboncredits.com/microsoft-secures-1-8m-carbon-credits-from-africas-rainforest-builder/?utm_source=openai)) The content appears original, with no evidence of prior publication. However, the article’s freshness is slightly diminished due to the 7-day gap between the announcement and the report.
Quotes check
Score:
7
Notes:
The article includes direct quotes from Edward Stephenson, Co-CEO of Rainforest Builder, and Phillip Goodman, Director of Carbon Removal at Microsoft. ([rainforestbuilder.com](https://www.rainforestbuilder.com/post/rainforest-builder-sells-carbon-removal-credits-to-microsoft-from-project-buffalo-in-sierra-leone?utm_source=openai)) While these quotes are attributed to their respective sources, the absence of direct links to the original statements raises concerns about verification. The lack of independently verifiable sources for these quotes reduces the score.
Source reliability
Score:
6
Notes:
The article originates from Carbon Credits, a niche publication focusing on carbon credit news. ([carboncredits.com](https://carboncredits.com/microsoft-secures-1-8m-carbon-credits-from-africas-rainforest-builder/?utm_source=openai)) While it provides detailed information, the source’s limited reach and potential biases due to its niche focus warrant caution. The lack of corroboration from major news outlets further diminishes the source’s reliability.
Plausibility check
Score:
7
Notes:
The claims about the deal between Microsoft and Rainforest Builder align with Microsoft’s known commitment to carbon neutrality and Rainforest Builder’s mission. ([rainforestbuilder.com](https://www.rainforestbuilder.com/post/rainforest-builder-sells-carbon-removal-credits-to-microsoft-from-project-buffalo-in-sierra-leone?utm_source=openai)) However, the absence of independent verification and the reliance on a single source for these claims raise questions about their accuracy.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): FAIL
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The article reports on a recent agreement between Microsoft and Rainforest Builder, but it lacks independent verification from reputable sources. The reliance on a niche publication and the absence of corroborating information from major news outlets raise concerns about the content’s credibility. The freshness of the article is slightly diminished due to the 7-day gap between the announcement and the report. Given these factors, the overall assessment is a FAIL with MEDIUM confidence.
