Microsoft throws more cash at its carbon guilt by replanting Brazilian rainforest
(2025/01/22)
- Reference: 1737572414
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/01/22/microsoft_carbon_credits/
- Source link:
Microsoft is forking out for even more carbon credits to offset spiralling AI-fuelled carbon dioxide emissions from its datacenters.
Analysts say real datacenter emissions are a dirty secret [1]READ MORE
The latest agreement signed with [2]Re.green is for 3.5 million tons of carbon removal credits over 25 years. The Brazilian company says it works with landowners to restore degraded land such as farmland back to natural ecosystems by replanting native species.
According to the [3]Financial Times , the arrangement could be worth around $200 million.
Microsoft and Re.green first struck an agreement in May 2024 for approximately 3 million tons of carbon removal credits over a 15-year period. Microsoft confirmed to The Register that this is effectively the same deal, although the numbers have clearly changed.
The contract, as disclosed in 2024, involved Re.green planting at least 10.7 million seedlings over 16,000 hectares across Brazil, and at the time was hailed by Re.green CEO Thiago Picolo as validation of its efforts to restore forests via the use of carbon credits.
[4]
"This collaboration serves as tangible evidence that this market not only exists but has significant potential for growth in Brazil. We are committed to forging additional partnerships of this calibre," he said.
[5]
[6]
Microsoft is just one of many large corporations struggling to meet commitments regarding reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In its most recent [7]Environmental Sustainability Report , Microsoft admitted its overall emissions had swelled by nearly 30 percent since 2020, despite setting the amibtion to be carbon-negative by 2030.
That reversal was blamed on an increase in indirect (Scope 3) emissions from the construction and outfitting of more datacenters – a carbon-intensive process – to meet customer demand for cloud services, especially AI development.
[8]Trump hits undo on Biden AI safety order, EV mandate, emissions standards, and more
[9]AI datacenters putting zero emissions promises out of reach
[10]Looming energy crunch makes future uncertain for datacenters
[11]Google thinks the grid can't support AI, so it's spending on solar for future datacenters
This trend looks likely to continue in the near future, with Microsoft confirming earlier this month it has budgeted to [12]invest $80 billion this year on building more infrastructure to train and deploy AI models.
So much for green Google ... Emissions up 48% since 2019 [13]READ MORE
Microsoft has sought to address its emissions problem through a number of approaches, including renewable energy and [14]nuclear power generation, as well as other carbon credit schemes, such as one announced last year with [15]Occidental Petroleum .
Nevertheless, carbon credits have been criticized by some as " [16]elaborate greenwashing mechanisms " and "a licence to pollute" as the buyer simply carries on emitting GHGs while securing credits from others to offset their activities.
[17]
A study published by financial services biz Morgan Stanley last year estimated that global GHG emissions caused by datacenters will be [18]three times higher - between now and the end of the decade - than if generative AI had not been developed.
Microsoft was accused of greenwashing last year, when it was revealed the company had [19]identified fossil fuel industries as a key growth target for its AI and cloud services so these could be used to aid exploration and production of new resources. ®
Get our [20]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/22/datacenter_emissions_not_accurate/
[2] https://re.green/en/
[3] https://www.ft.com/content/3ac7e92f-bea5-4460-8791-23a2697d8b80
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Z5F4iFPLBgOPLAjC-o6lOAAAAEM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z5F4iFPLBgOPLAjC-o6lOAAAAEM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z5F4iFPLBgOPLAjC-o6lOAAAAEM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/16/microsoft_co2_emissions/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/21/trump_eliminates_biden_ai_order/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/16/ai_datacenters_putting_zero_emissions/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/06/energy_crunch_datacenters/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/12/12/google_solar_energy_datacenter/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/06/ai_spending_spree_continues_as/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/02/google_datacenter_emissions/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2024/09/20/three_mile_island_nuclear_plant_microsoft_ai/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/10/microsoft_occidental_carbon_removal/
[16] https://www.csis.org/analysis/whats-plaguing-voluntary-carbon-markets
[17] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z5F4iFPLBgOPLAjC-o6lOAAAAEM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[18] https://www.theregister.com/2024/09/06/datacenters_set_to_emit_3x/
[19] https://www.theregister.com/2024/10/31/microsoft_greenwashing_ai/
[20] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Analysts say real datacenter emissions are a dirty secret [1]READ MORE
The latest agreement signed with [2]Re.green is for 3.5 million tons of carbon removal credits over 25 years. The Brazilian company says it works with landowners to restore degraded land such as farmland back to natural ecosystems by replanting native species.
According to the [3]Financial Times , the arrangement could be worth around $200 million.
Microsoft and Re.green first struck an agreement in May 2024 for approximately 3 million tons of carbon removal credits over a 15-year period. Microsoft confirmed to The Register that this is effectively the same deal, although the numbers have clearly changed.
The contract, as disclosed in 2024, involved Re.green planting at least 10.7 million seedlings over 16,000 hectares across Brazil, and at the time was hailed by Re.green CEO Thiago Picolo as validation of its efforts to restore forests via the use of carbon credits.
[4]
"This collaboration serves as tangible evidence that this market not only exists but has significant potential for growth in Brazil. We are committed to forging additional partnerships of this calibre," he said.
[5]
[6]
Microsoft is just one of many large corporations struggling to meet commitments regarding reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In its most recent [7]Environmental Sustainability Report , Microsoft admitted its overall emissions had swelled by nearly 30 percent since 2020, despite setting the amibtion to be carbon-negative by 2030.
That reversal was blamed on an increase in indirect (Scope 3) emissions from the construction and outfitting of more datacenters – a carbon-intensive process – to meet customer demand for cloud services, especially AI development.
[8]Trump hits undo on Biden AI safety order, EV mandate, emissions standards, and more
[9]AI datacenters putting zero emissions promises out of reach
[10]Looming energy crunch makes future uncertain for datacenters
[11]Google thinks the grid can't support AI, so it's spending on solar for future datacenters
This trend looks likely to continue in the near future, with Microsoft confirming earlier this month it has budgeted to [12]invest $80 billion this year on building more infrastructure to train and deploy AI models.
So much for green Google ... Emissions up 48% since 2019 [13]READ MORE
Microsoft has sought to address its emissions problem through a number of approaches, including renewable energy and [14]nuclear power generation, as well as other carbon credit schemes, such as one announced last year with [15]Occidental Petroleum .
Nevertheless, carbon credits have been criticized by some as " [16]elaborate greenwashing mechanisms " and "a licence to pollute" as the buyer simply carries on emitting GHGs while securing credits from others to offset their activities.
[17]
A study published by financial services biz Morgan Stanley last year estimated that global GHG emissions caused by datacenters will be [18]three times higher - between now and the end of the decade - than if generative AI had not been developed.
Microsoft was accused of greenwashing last year, when it was revealed the company had [19]identified fossil fuel industries as a key growth target for its AI and cloud services so these could be used to aid exploration and production of new resources. ®
Get our [20]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/22/datacenter_emissions_not_accurate/
[2] https://re.green/en/
[3] https://www.ft.com/content/3ac7e92f-bea5-4460-8791-23a2697d8b80
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Z5F4iFPLBgOPLAjC-o6lOAAAAEM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z5F4iFPLBgOPLAjC-o6lOAAAAEM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z5F4iFPLBgOPLAjC-o6lOAAAAEM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/16/microsoft_co2_emissions/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/21/trump_eliminates_biden_ai_order/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/16/ai_datacenters_putting_zero_emissions/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/06/energy_crunch_datacenters/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/12/12/google_solar_energy_datacenter/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/06/ai_spending_spree_continues_as/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/02/google_datacenter_emissions/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2024/09/20/three_mile_island_nuclear_plant_microsoft_ai/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/10/microsoft_occidental_carbon_removal/
[16] https://www.csis.org/analysis/whats-plaguing-voluntary-carbon-markets
[17] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z5F4iFPLBgOPLAjC-o6lOAAAAEM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[18] https://www.theregister.com/2024/09/06/datacenters_set_to_emit_3x/
[19] https://www.theregister.com/2024/10/31/microsoft_greenwashing_ai/
[20] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Stop building more junk
IGotOut
The problem is, the rich get richer and the poor are told to blame the poorest, for all their problems.
I fucking hate these companies and their scumbag CEOs.
Yet people will still keep buying their shit, because it's easier. I admit I'm one of them, but slowly weeing my way off.
Amazon and Netflix have gone, eBay is barely used, but boy is it hard.
This year will be MS and Google (haven't bought anything off them for years). But unfortunately Apple will still need to exist.
Indulgence
b0llchit
Just like the Roman Catholic church. You literally pay for your sins and they all go away. That tree? Oh that one, well, yeah, it burn ed next month (you see, climatic foresight).
It does make me wonder
cyberdemon
How companies and energy suppliers such as Octopus can claim "100% Renewable Energy!" when on days like [1]today , clearly that's not possible.
Yes I understand that they use ROCs or whatever to pretend they bought it at a different time than they actually did, but these things are a merrry-go-round of bullshit. E.g. how do you prove that the windfarm you bought the ROCs from hasn't just been paid Curtailment compensation meaning that the renewable energy that you "bought" at time offset x is nonexistent and shouldn't be sold as ROCs? The whole thing is about as transparent as Amazon's tax return.
Apparently we have 30GW installed Wind capacity in the UK, but I've never seen it go above 17GW. This morning it was producing 94MW i.e. 0.3% of "installed capacity".
[1] https://gridwatch.co.uk/
Stop building more junk
Dear GAFA's just please stop building all of these unnecessary infrastructures, don't stop planting trees though, and do humanity some actual good. Something that would actually make a difference.
I don't care too much about all this green stuff but there comes a point when things become fruitless and futile.
It's at a stage now where it is impossible not to dislike all of these large IT companies, they have become the bane of society.