The ‘Symbiosis Coalition’ is a new alliance between tech giants Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Salesforce, dedicated to pioneering “next-generation nature restoration projects.” These projects are designed to produce nature-based carbon removal credits, contributing to the reduction of the companies’ carbon footprints.

This coalition has set an ambitious goal to secure up to 20 million tons of nature-based carbon removal credits by 2030. This initiative represents a significant market commitment to nature-based carbon removal, marking it as the largest of its kind to date. By investing in external carbon-negative initiatives, such as afforestation, the coalition aims to offset their emissions.

Addressing the challenges faced by previous projects, which often lacked credibility and scalability, the Symbiosis Coalition intends to utilise advanced technology and research to accurately measure project outcomes. The coalition’s strategy includes sharing their project criteria to encourage other companies to implement sustainable practices, with the expectation that the coalition will expand as more companies commit to these environmental efforts.

Kate Brandt, Chief Sustainability officer at Google mentioned that the “…first and foremost committed to reducing emissions from our operations and value chain, we recognise that won’t be enough to avoid the worst effects of climate change” and Melanie Nakagawa, Chief Sustainability Officer at Microsoft.  emphasises that “…Symbiosis Coalition is a key step towards realising our carbon negative goal by 2030 through a diversified portfolio of carbon removal”.