Netflix has entered into a 15-year agreement to purchase verified carbon credits from the American Forest Foundation (AFF), backing an ambitious reforestation initiative across the southern United States.
Two people watching TV in their apartment with a green forest outside the window. AI generated picture.
The streaming platform’s commitment will help scale AFF’s Fields & Forests (F&F) program, starting with the launch of 6,000 acres (2,428 hectares) of new tree plantings. The project partners with landowners in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina to restore open fields that have remained treeless for at least a decade.
‘Netflix provided critical early-stage financing for F&F through an innovative financing approach: milestone prepayments’, AFF said in a statement. ‘By tying upfront financial support to key milestones such as acres enrolled, milestone prepayments help F&F offer robust financial and technical resources to more landowners.’
Unlike traditional structures where buyers either pre-purchase small volumes or sign larger delivery-based offtake contracts, this ‘milestone prepayments’ model ensures steady capital injections at different development stages, supporting the programme’s long-term growth.
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The specific number of credits and pricing agreed with Netflix were not disclosed. However, the programme’s scale is already evident: To date, Fields & Forests has enrolled 2,500 acres of family-owned land, with plans to plant 1.4 million trees and deliver $2 million in direct payments to landowners.
Landowners joining the initiative must commit at least 30 acres of eligible land and agree to a 30-year enrollment period. For many, this offers a new source of income alongside the ecological benefits of reforestation.
Looking ahead, AFF has set a target to enrol 75,000 acres by 2032. That expansion is expected to generate an estimated 4.8 million carbon credits while continuing to create opportunities for small and family landowners across the region. This deal signals how large-scale buyers are experimenting with new financing structures to help advance carbon removal projects from concept to implementation.
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As innovative approaches like Netflix’s milestone-backed financing show, the carbon market is evolving to accelerate large-scale ecosystem restoration. The demand for carbon credits is only growing as businesses seek solutions that benefit both nature and local communities. At DGB Group, we answer this call by developing premium nature-based projects that restore ecosystems, protect biodiversity, and create lasting value for landowners and investors alike. With frameworks supporting global carbon trading and rising interest from big corporate buyers, now is the time to secure high-quality carbon units that deliver measurable impact and financial resilience.
