Swedish firm to sell credits backed by land in Merryville, Louisiana, enabled by adoption of industry-leading methodology
ATHENS, Ga., May 14, 2025 -- Qarlbo Biodiversity, together with 6M Properties LLC, today announced the first-ever off-take agreement for voluntary biodiversity credits in the United States.
Qarlbo Biodiversity, the Stockholm-based global leader in nature-positive forestry investments, made an agreement with 6M Properties, a South Carolina-based firm specializing in developing timberland resources throughout the Southeastern United States.
A biodiversity credit represents an additional, measurable, and independently verified positive biodiversity outcome achieved on one hectare of forest land over the course of a year. Biodiversity loss is complex to measure and mitigate, but solutions like biodiversity credits are essential for creating transparency and accountability.
Qarlbo Biodiversity will generate the credits on land it owns, through application of its biodiversity credit methodology. The restoration effort the credits will finance will be verified using the proprietary methodology, which is rooted in science and already used to underpin projects globally. This credit sale is a model for restoration of U.S. production forests that are a key driver of economic growth.
"This transaction is a groundbreaking milestone for conservation finance," said Aleksandra Holmlund, CEO of Qarlbo Biodiversity. "It demonstrates clear market demand and a growing supply of practical solutions for channeling private capital into projects that deliver measurable financial, environmental, and operational outcomes."
Roughly a third of the planet's land area is covered by forests, and 30% of those are production forests that play an integral role in critical global supply chains. Following recent European transactions, the first voluntary biodiversity credit sale in the U.S. underscores growing global momentum around nature-based solutions and voluntary nature credit markets.
The credits will be generated on Qarlbo Biodiversity's 10,576-acre (4,280-hectare) property in Merryville, Louisiana, where the company is restoring longleaf pine ecosystems—among the most ecologically valuable and threatened forest types in North America. Once covering over 90 million acres across the Southern U.S., today less than 5% of longleaf pine forests remain. These ecosystems support threatened species such as the red-cockaded woodpecker, enhance wildfire resistance, and sequester significant amounts of carbon, making their restoration a high-impact investment in both biodiversity and climate resilience.
"I was personally involved with the team during the acquisition of this asset, and I'm thrilled to be part of the vision that Qarlbo has brought forward," said Mark McMillan, CEO of 6M Properties LLC. "In today's challenging landscape of forestry management and sustainability initiatives, it's truly a pleasure to work alongside a group that evaluates an asset from every angle."
Qarlbo Biodiversity's credit methodology, developed in Sweden, supported the first European biodiversity credit transaction in October 2024, with Orsa Besparingsskog as the seller and Devi Group as the buyer. The system, developed by Martin Pilstjärna, Qarlbo Biodiversity's Impact Director and Aleksandra Holmlund, Qarlbo Biodiversity's CEO, exceeds conventional European and American standards for forest management, thereby enabling additional, measurable restoration and preservation actions in timber production while also fostering the biodiversity necessary for resilient, future-proof forests.
About Qarlbo Biodiversity
Qarlbo Biodiversity is a global leader in nature-positive forestry investments, headquartered in Stockholm with U.S. offices in Athens, Georgia. The company invests in and actively manages regeneration of biodiversity in forest landscapes, optimizing impact with the Qarlbo Nature+® Forest Management Strategy. As a co-founder of the UN-affiliated Biodiversity Credit Alliance (BCA), Qarlbo Biodiversity is at the forefront of catalyzing credible, transparent markets for forest conservation and biodiversity regeneration, and the company's pioneering methodology is responsible for enabling the first-ever commercial sale of biocredits in Sweden. Qarlbo Biodiversity is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qarlbo AB, a global investment company owned by the Jonsson family and shaped by a commitment to creating sustainable impact that lasts for generations. By integrating monitoring and reporting technology with the latest science, Qarlbo Biodiversity is future-proofing forestry to simultaneously ensure lasting conservation and financial viability. For more information, visit https://www.qarlbobiodiversity.com/.
About 6M Properties
6M Properties, LLC is a family-owned and managed timberland investment portfolio firm with holdings in the southeastern United States.
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QarlboBio@EdelmanSmithfield.com
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