Microsoft says its carbon removal program “has not ended”

⭐ Join our community and access the best we offer!

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on ESG Today or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Microsoft clarified that its carbon removal program is continuing, responding to reports suggesting the company had paused purchases of carbon removal credits

🔭 The context: According to Chief Sustainability Officer Melanie Nakagawa, the company may adjust the pace or volume of procurement, but carbon removal remains a core part of Microsoft’s climate strategy
• The tech giant has been the dominant force in the carbon removal market, representing about 90% of global demand in 2025, according to the platform CDR.fyi
• In 2025 alone, Microsoft signed agreements to remove 45 million tonnes of CO₂, roughly double the amount contracted the previous year
• These purchases support Microsoft’s pledge to become carbon negative by 2030 and to remove all historical emissions since its founding by 2050

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Corporate purchases of carbon removal credits have helped create early markets for technologies such as direct air capture and other removal pathways
• Any slowdown in demand from the largest buyer could affect the financial viability and scaling of emerging carbon removal projects, which are widely viewed as necessary to reach global net-zero targets.

⏭️ What’s next: Microsoft said it will continue supporting both nature-based and technology-based removal solutions, while refining procurement strategies and maintaining a “reduction-first” approach that prioritizes emissions cuts before using removals

📈 One stat: Microsoft accounted for around 90% of the global carbon removal market in 2025, highlighting its outsized influence on the sector

See on illuminem's Data Hub™ the sustainability performance — carbon credit purchases, total emissions, and climate targets of thousands of companies

Click for more news covering the latest on carbon removal