Microsoft said on July 9, 2026 that its carbon emissions rose 25% in 2025 to 20 million metric tons of CO₂ equivalent, driven mainly by the construction of new AI data centers, making its 2030 carbon-negative goal harder to reach.
July 9, 2026 · Microsoft Sustainability Report
The AI Build-Out Is Pushing Microsoft's Emissions Higher
Carbon emissions rose 25% in 2025 to 20 million tCO₂e , driven mainly by new AI data center construction — making the company's pledge to go carbon-negative by 2030 harder to reach.
+25%
2025 emissions growth, year over year
97%+
from Scope 3 — supply chain & construction materials
18×
growth in carbon-free energy contracts vs 2020
Emissions vs the 2020 Baseline
16M tons in 2024 → 20M tons in 2025. Total is now well above the year Microsoft made its carbon-negative pledge.
Metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e)
Big Tech's Shared Trend — AI Demand Pressures Climate Goals
Latest-year emissions increase. Google is also up 51% vs 2019.
Microsoft's Efficiency Argument
The company frames holding emissions growth to 25% — while energy use and revenue climbed far faster since 2020 — as evidence of efficiency gains.
34 GW
carbon-free energy contracts across 24 countries
Credit Given
Transparency of detailed reporting
Shift toward additive nuclear, solar & hydro power
~30M tons of carbon removal contracted to date
Skepticism
Continued emissions growth threatens the 2030 goal
Rising electricity prices & water use in host regions
Reliance on on-site gas-fired generation
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