Commercial, Energy Efficiency, GHG Emissions  -  July 14, 2022

Microsoft Launches Carbon Removal

Microsoft signed a 10-year carbon removal offtake agreement where Climeworks will permanently remove 10,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

“Microsoft’s multi-year offtake agreement with Climeworks is an important step towards realizing the ‘net’ in net zero,” said Microsoft Chief Environmental Officer Lucas Joppa in a statement. “Our experience in purchasing renewable energy shows that long-term agreements can provide an essential foundation for society's race to scale new decarbonization technologies. Paired with Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund investment in Climeworks’ direct air capture plant, this agreement with Climeworks can help kickstart the commercial and technical progress in a nascent but crucial industry to achieve IPCC targets.”

Direct air capture (DAC) is key to mitigating climate change. The IPCC estimates that by mid-century there needs to be 3-12 billion tons of CO2  to be removed from the air every year in order to limit global warming to 1.5°C. Direct air capture and storage are expected to contribute a significant part, with a potential of removing up to 310 billion tons of CO2 by 2100.

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