By Abbas Nazil
Microsoft is scaling up efforts to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through a combination of nature-based and engineered solutions, recognizing that reducing emissions alone is insufficient to meet global climate targets.
The company has signed contracts with 21 carbon removal project developers worldwide, committing to remove a record 45 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide in fiscal year 2025.
This achievement is equivalent to taking nearly 9.8 million cars off the road for a year and represents a twofold increase from the previous year and a ninefold increase compared to 2023.
Microsoft’s initiatives span multiple continents, including projects in the United States, Brazil, Denmark, Sweden, Bolivia, Norway, India, Panama, Canada, and Switzerland, reflecting the company’s commitment to advancing carbon removal at scale.
The company employs a rigorous portfolio approach, ensuring that projects remove more carbon than they emit, with long-term storage durability ranging from decades to millennia, depending on the method used.
Innovative approaches include enhanced rock weathering, where finely ground volcanic basalt is spread on farmland to convert carbon dioxide into stable bicarbonate ions stored in waterways and the ocean for thousands of years.
Regenerative farming and ranching practices are also promoted through partnerships like Agoro Carbon Alliance, which helps farmers and ranchers sequester carbon in soils while improving crop yields and soil health.
In Sweden, Stockholm Exergi is retrofitting a bioenergy plant to capture carbon dioxide from sustainably sourced forestry waste and store it beneath the North Sea in geological formations, a process known as BECCS.
Tropical reforestation projects, such as those by re.green in Brazil, utilize drones, satellites, and machine learning to monitor forest growth, restore ecosystems, and enhance biodiversity while strategically harvesting timber to maintain carbon capture capacity.
Microsoft supports project developers through early-stage collaboration, investing in innovation, and securing forward purchase commitments to ensure economic viability and encourage broader participation in carbon markets.
The company emphasizes measurement, verification, and independent auditing to maintain transparency, avoid double counting of carbon credits, and build trust in the growing carbon removal market.
By integrating these strategies, Microsoft aims to achieve carbon negativity by 2030 and remove historic emissions by 2050, providing a pathway for large-scale, scientifically validated carbon dioxide removal that benefits both the climate and communities globally.
