Apple invests in restoration and sustainable management of California’s Gualala River Forest as part of its Restore Fund.
The Restore Fund now supports two dozen conservation and regenerative agriculture projects across six continents, tied to Apple’s 2030 carbon neutrality target.
U.S. forests face 13 million acres at risk by 2050, heightening the economic and ecological stakes of private sector-backed conservation.
Redwood Conservation Anchors Apple’s U.S. Climate Strategy
Apple has partnered with The Conservation Fund to restore and sustainably manage the Gualala River Forest, a coastal redwood landscape that has long shaped the livelihoods and biodiversity of northern California. The project is the latest investment through the company’s Restore Fund, a vehicle launched in 2021 to channel capital into large-scale nature-based carbon removal.
The fund, developed with Goldman Sachs and Conservation International, has since expanded with a second tranche managed by Climate Asset Management in 2023 and new direct investments in 2025. Suppliers TSMC and Murata have also joined. Apple has now backed two dozen forestry and regenerative agriculture initiatives spanning six continents.
“Forests are one of the most powerful technologies we have for removing carbon from the atmosphere,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives. “Our global investments in nature are leveraging that technology while supporting communities, stimulating local economies, and enhancing biodiversity.”
Carbon Neutrality by 2030
Apple’s conservation investments are tightly bound to its Apple 2030 goal of achieving carbon neutrality across its value chain by the end of the decade. The company has pledged to cut emissions 75 percent from 2015 levels and balance the remainder through verified carbon removal.
As of 2025, Apple reports more than 60 percent progress toward that goal. By 2030, it expects the Restore Fund and related projects to remove 9.6 million metric tons of carbon annually.
The company emphasizes a preference for nature-based solutions, citing scalability and multiple co-benefits including biodiversity restoration, watershed protection, and rural employment.
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Economic and Ecological Stakes in U.S. Forests
The Gualala River Forest, stretching across Mendocino County’s redwood region, is a working forest central to both habitat protection and local economies. It provides a living for timber-dependent communities while hosting hundreds of wildlife species.
The Conservation Fund, Apple’s partner, has protected more than 120,000 acres of California’s redwood landscapes since 2004. It will manage the forest sustainably, with Apple receiving carbon credits as the forest grows.
“America’s forests are under immense pressure, with 13 million acres at risk of vanishing by 2050,” said Larry Selzer, president and CEO of The Conservation Fund. “Forests are a cornerstone of rural economies, supporting more than 2 million jobs. Our collaboration with Apple is a powerful model for protecting working forests, and we’re eager to replicate it with partners across the country.”
Apple has previously worked with the nonprofit to conserve 36,000 acres in Maine and North Carolina and has funded a mixed-species temperate rainforest project in Washington state.
Global Portfolio Expands
Beyond the U.S., Apple is widening its reach. The Restore Fund and related grants now back projects in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and Latin America. Recent commitments include:
Support for Conservation International to train conservation leaders and strengthen protection of ecosystems such as India’s mangrove forests.
Grants to the Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots and Shoots program to advance community-driven conservation.
A partnership with The Nature Conservancy to assess remote sensing technologies for verifying natural climate solutions.
These projects aim to combine carbon sequestration with community development and scientific innovation.
Implications for Business and Policy Leaders
For investors and policymakers, Apple’s strategy illustrates the role of large corporates in scaling voluntary carbon markets while hedging climate risk across global operations. By linking nature conservation to supply chain decarbonization, the company creates both environmental and reputational capital, while setting expectations for peers in technology and beyond.
The model also highlights the governance challenge: ensuring that private investments in nature complement — rather than substitute — public conservation funding, especially in regions facing acute land-use pressures.
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