Google just quadrupled down on natural carbon removal, expanding its partnership with Brazilian company Mombak to purchase 200,000 tons of CO2 removal credits - four times larger than their initial 2024 deal. The expanded Amazon reforestation partnership now includes Google DeepMind's Perch AI system to track biodiversity benefits, signaling Big Tech's growing commitment to nature-based climate solutions over traditional offsetting approaches.
Google is betting big on the Amazon's ability to pull carbon from the atmosphere. The tech giant just announced a massive expansion of its partnership with Mombak, a Brazilian company restoring degraded Amazon land through native forest replanting.
The new deal sees Google purchasing 200,000 tons of CO2 removal credits - a four-fold increase from their initial partnership last year. That's enough theoretical carbon removal to offset roughly 43,000 cars for a year, though the actual impact will unfold over decades as the forests mature.
What sets this apart from typical corporate carbon deals is the integration of Google DeepMind's Perch AI system, which will track and quantify the biodiversity benefits of reforestation efforts. The AI analyzes audio recordings to identify species populations, adding a measurable dimension beyond pure carbon accounting.
"Mombak's approach balances scientific rigor with industrial-scale operations to maximize climate benefit and ecosystem restoration," Randy Spock, Google's Carbon Credits and Removals Lead, explained in the company's announcement. The partnership reflects a broader industry shift toward nature-based solutions as tech companies face mounting pressure to deliver on net-zero commitments.
The timing couldn't be more critical. Amazon deforestation reached concerning levels in recent years, while tech companies' energy consumption continues climbing with AI model training and data center expansion. Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta have all announced similar nature-based carbon removal initiatives, creating a competitive market for credible forest restoration projects.
Mombak earned selection as the first project endorsed by the Symbiosis Coalition, an industry group focused on verifying legitimate carbon removal approaches. Independent experts have validated their measurement methodology - crucial given the carbon credit industry's history of inflated claims and questionable accounting practices.
