Google and McKinsey Sign 320,000-Tonne Carbon Removal Deal with Working Trees in Brazil

Google and McKinsey have signed long-term agreements to purchase 320,000 tonnes of carbon removal from Working Trees, supporting the restoration of degraded cattle pastures in Brazil through silvopasture systems. Announced through the Symbiosis Coalition, the 10-year offtake agreements will support the restoration of approximately 8,700 hectares across the southeastern Amazon and central Cerrado regions.

The agreements represent Symbiosis Coalition's first investment in a silvopasture carbon removal project, expanding its portfolio of nature-based solutions beyond reforestation and conventional agroforestry. The contracted area forms part of Working Trees' wider 50,000-hectare project, which aims to integrate trees into existing cattle ranches while maintaining livestock production. Working Trees has already piloted its approach across more than 2,000 hectares, providing an initial foundation for expanding the model.

 

Silvopasture Combines Carbon Removal with Cattle Ranching

 

Silvopasture is an agroforestry practice that integrates trees, pasture and livestock within the same agricultural landscape. Rather than converting cattle ranches entirely into forests, Working Trees will plant rows of native and commercial timber species across existing grazing land, leaving sufficient space for cattle to continue feeding between the trees.

The approach is intended to increase carbon storage while improving soil health, water retention, biodiversity and livestock resilience. Trees can provide shade for cattle during periods of extreme heat and support pasture productivity by improving growing conditions. Maintaining cattle production within the restored landscape may also reduce the risk of agricultural activity being displaced to other areas, potentially limiting additional deforestation pressure.

 

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Brazilian Pastures Offer Large-Scale Restoration Potential

 

Cattle grazing occupies nearly three billion hectares globally and is a major contributor to deforestation in several tropical regions. In Brazil, degraded pastures across the Amazon and Cerrado offer opportunities to introduce trees without necessarily removing land from agricultural production.

Working Trees estimates that its approach could eventually expand across five million to 10 million hectares of pastureland. However, the company's current 50,000-hectare project is considerably smaller, and the latest carbon offtake agreements cover only 8,700 hectares. The wider expansion potential remains an ambition rather than contracted restoration activity.

Julia Strong, Executive Director of Symbiosis Coalition, said, "Silvopasture is one of the most underused tools we have for nature-based carbon removal." She highlighted the opportunity to combine carbon sequestration with improvements to the landscapes and livelihoods on which local communities depend.

 

Commercial Timber and Native Trees Support Long-Term Viability

 

The project uses a combination of native Brazilian trees and non-native commercial timber species. Native varieties include Cañafistula, Ingá, Gonçalo Alves and Baru, while African Mahogany and Teak provide commercial timber opportunities for participating ranchers.

The commercial species are intended to generate additional income, giving landowners a financial incentive to maintain tree cover beyond the period covered by carbon payments. Meanwhile, native species support biodiversity, soil improvement and alternative agricultural products. Working Trees aims to increase the proportion of native species from a minimum of 25% to 50% by 2030, working with Brazilian research institutions.

The combination also introduces considerations for long-term carbon accounting. Timber harvesting can affect how much carbon remains stored within the project, making it necessary to track tree growth, harvesting cycles and the eventual treatment of harvested wood. According to Working Trees, these cycles are incorporated into its carbon quantification approach to account for changes in carbon stocks over time.

 

Digital Monitoring Supports Carbon Measurement and Verification

 

Working Trees is using smartphone-based measurement technology and a digital monitoring platform to record carbon-related data across participating farms. Landowners and field workers can photograph trees and capture information about their location, size and species, with records automatically linked to GPS coordinates and timestamps.

The company says the technology has undergone peer review and independent validation against manual measurement methods. Digital monitoring could reduce the cost and complexity of collecting project data across large agricultural areas, particularly as restoration expands.

However, measuring tree growth is only one component of verifying carbon removals. Credible credit issuance also requires reliable baselines, evidence of additionality, monitoring of potential carbon losses and safeguards against displacement of land-use activities. The announcement does not identify the crediting standard, verification schedule or anticipated timing of credit deliveries under the new agreements.

 

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Long-Term Offtake Agreements Could Support Project Financing

 

The Symbiosis Coalition is seeking to expand nature-based carbon removal through long-term purchase commitments from corporate buyers. Its model aggregates demand, assesses project quality and facilitates offtake agreements that can provide developers with greater revenue certainty.

This approach is intended to help projects secure the financing needed for restoration activities before carbon credits are delivered. For agricultural carbon removal projects, long-term commitments can be especially important because tree growth, land management changes and environmental monitoring require sustained investment over many years.

Leif Gonzales-Kramer, CEO of Working Trees, said, "Landscape-level change is not built on one-off transactions." He emphasised the importance of long-term commitments from both ranchers and carbon credit buyers in supporting restoration at scale.

 

Google and McKinsey Expand Nature-Based Carbon Removal Commitments

 

The agreements add silvopasture to Symbiosis Coalition's portfolio of nature-based carbon removal approaches, which already includes projects developed by Living Carbon, Mombak and Thryve.Earth. Google and McKinsey's participation provides contracted demand for Working Trees' planned removals, although the financial value of the agreements has not been disclosed.

Isabelle Schuhmann, Global Director of Environmental Sustainability at McKinsey & Company, described the project as a replicable approach to sustainable land use that could strengthen local economic resilience. Randy Spock, Head of Carbon Removal at Google, also highlighted the potential to integrate ecological restoration into productive agricultural landscapes.

The agreements illustrate how corporate carbon removal purchasing can support changes in agricultural land management. The next test will be whether Working Trees can expand restoration across the contracted area while maintaining cattle productivity, delivering verified carbon removals and demonstrating measurable improvements in biodiversity and rural livelihoods.

 

Source: Symbiosis Coalition