Microsoft Climate Goals

Microsoft has pledged to be carbon negative by 2030, removing more carbon than it emits, and to remove its historical emissions by 2050. This page covers the targets, how much carbon removal Microsoft has contracted, and how AI growth is affecting progress. Last updated October 2026.

Microsoft's Climate Goals at a Glance

• Carbon negative by 2030, alongside goals to be water positive and zero waste by 2030.
• Historical emissions: remove the equivalent of its historical emissions since founding in 1975 by 2050.
• Progress: Microsoft's 2025 report showed total emissions 23.4% above its 2020 baseline (Scope 1 and 2 down 29.9%, Scope 3 up 26%), and its 2026 report put the latest annual rise at about 25%, driven by data centre expansion.
• Carbon removal: nearly 30 million tonnes contracted by the 2025 report, with 29 new projects added in 2025 expected to deliver more than 45 million tonnes over three decades.
• Clean power: contracts now cover up to 40 GW of renewable energy, up from 34 GW a year earlier.

Carbon Negative by 2030: What It Means

In 2020 Microsoft pledged to remove more carbon than it emits by 2030. This needs two things at once: cutting its own emissions and buying large volumes of durable carbon dioxide removal. Microsoft says it remains committed to the goal, but describes the journey as a marathon, not a sprint.

Microsoft's Emissions Are Rising: Why

Microsoft's own operations are getting cleaner, but its total footprint is growing because Scope 3, mainly the construction and equipment for AI data centres, is rising faster. Scope 3 makes up the large majority of the total, so supply chain action matters more than anything inside Microsoft's own buildings.

Carbon Removal: Direct Air Capture and More

Microsoft is one of the largest buyers of carbon removal in the world. Its portfolio spans engineered and nature-based methods, including direct air capture (DAC), with the 29 projects added in 2025 covering 10 different removal pathways. Spreading purchases across methods reduces the risk that any single approach fails to scale.

Renewable Energy and Operations

Microsoft has contracted up to 40 GW of renewable energy and continues to work on efficiency across its data centres, buildings and devices. It also asks suppliers to move to renewable power and report emissions.

Sustainable Products and Cloud Services

Microsoft offers tools such as Microsoft Sustainability Manager to help customers track and manage emissions, and builds recycled materials and energy efficiency into its Surface devices.

Challenges and Opportunities

• AI growth: demand for compute is raising emissions faster than they can be cut.
• Scaling durable removal: large volumes of high-quality removal are still hard to buy.
• Scope 3: reducing supply chain emissions depends on suppliers and on the grid.

Frequently Asked Questions About Microsoft's Climate Goals

What is Microsoft's climate goal?

Microsoft aims to be carbon negative by 2030, and to remove its historical emissions by 2050.

Is Microsoft on track to be carbon negative by 2030?

Its reported emissions have risen against its 2020 baseline, so the target is harder than when it was set. Microsoft says it remains committed.

How much carbon removal has Microsoft bought?

Nearly 30 million tonnes by its 2025 report, and 29 more projects were added in 2025, expected to deliver more than 45 million tonnes over three decades.

How does Microsoft compare with other tech companies?

Compare with Google, Apple and Amazon.

Sources

Microsoft: 2025 Environmental Sustainability Report and ESG Today: Microsoft's carbon footprint jumps 25%.