Manulife Investment Management held the final close of its Forest Climate Fund, securing $480.1 million in commitments from U.S. and global investors seeking to combat climate change through sustainable forest management. The fund, which prioritizes carbon sequestration over timber production, aims to capture more than 6 million tons of carbon dioxide throughout its term while providing investors with high-quality carbon credits and the option for offset sales or in-kind distributions… Manulife IM, which oversees more than five million acres of timberland, operates within the firm’s $100 billion private markets platform, which includes various alternative investments as of Oct. 31, 2024. Eric Cooperstrom, managing director of impact investing and natural climate solutions at Manulife IM, noted, “Investors are showing confidence in forests as a top natural climate solution.”