Project Buffalo

Inside the project

Project Buffalo works on 15,000 ha of degraded community land in the Upper Guinean Forest of Sierra Leone (distinct from the Gola landscape). Rainforest Builder is the developer, with backing that includes a Microsoft carbon-removal offtake and investment from BNP Paribas Asset Management.

The project targets more than 10 million trees, with over 1.8 million reported planted since 2023. Rainforest Builder has sold 1.8 million carbon-removal credits to Microsoft over a 15-year period, one of the larger African reforestation offtakes reported to date.

The developer reports roughly 1,200 people employed as of 2025. The project has completed validation under Verra's VM0047 afforestation, reforestation and revegetation methodology together with the CCB standard for community and biodiversity co-benefits.

Objectives

• Restore 15,000 ha of degraded community land in the Upper Guinean Forest.
• Plant more than 10 million trees over the project lifetime.
• Deliver 1.8 million carbon-removal credits to Microsoft across 15 years.
• Generate local employment (about 1,200 reported in 2025).
• Secure community and biodiversity co-benefits under CCB.

Approach

• The project reforests degraded community land under Verra VM0047 (ARR) with CCB co-benefit certification, and validation has been completed. The Microsoft offtake implies buyer-side due diligence on the removal credits, and MRV follows the VM0047 measurement and verification requirements.