Google and McKinsey Agree to Purchase Carbon Removal Credits From Brazilian Project
SÃO PAULO, Brazil, October 19, 2026, ZEX PR WIRE — Google and McKinsey have agreed to purchase 320,000 metric tons of carbon removal credits over 10 years through a Brazilian silvopasture project, according to Reuters reporting published on October 19. The agreement links two major corporate buyers with a land management approach designed to combine trees, pasture and livestock production.
The project represents Google’s first silvopasture carbon removal agreement, according to the report. It also illustrates how companies are exploring different approaches to addressing residual emissions while assessing the quality, permanence and verification of carbon removal projects.
What silvopasture involves
Silvopasture combines trees, forage and livestock on the same land. Depending on how a project is designed and managed, the approach can support tree growth, improve land use and provide additional benefits for agricultural systems.
Carbon removal projects seek to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it over time. In land-based projects, this can involve the accumulation of carbon in trees and soil.
However, measuring the amount of carbon removed requires appropriate monitoring and accounting methods. Project developers and buyers must also consider whether the claimed removal is additional to what would have happened without the project, how long carbon is likely to remain stored and whether other environmental or land use effects offset some of the benefits.
Why corporate buyers are interested
Large companies face pressure to understand and manage the climate impact of their operations and supply chains. Purchasing carbon removal credits can form one part of a broader climate strategy, although such purchases are not a substitute for reducing emissions directly.
Long-term purchase agreements can provide project developers with greater visibility into future demand. This may help them secure financing, expand operations and invest in monitoring and verification systems.
For buyers, the quality of the underlying project is essential. Carbon removal claims depend on credible measurement, transparent reporting and effective safeguards against overstating environmental benefits.
The importance of verification
Carbon markets contain projects with different methodologies, costs and levels of evidence. Investors and corporate buyers increasingly need to distinguish between credits representing verified carbon removal and those associated with avoided emissions or other environmental claims.
Land-based projects can also face risks from fire, drought, changes in land management and other factors that affect carbon storage.
Long-term agreements can help support project development, but their environmental value ultimately depends on the amount of carbon removed and the reliability of the monitoring process.
What comes next
The agreement adds to the growing role of corporate procurement in financing carbon removal initiatives. Its significance will depend on project implementation, monitoring quality and the delivery of the contracted credits over the agreement period.
For technology companies, climate commitments increasingly involve not only energy efficiency and renewable electricity but also how residual emissions are addressed. The Brazilian project highlights the role that agricultural land management may play in this broader effort.
