Microsoft’s carbon emissions went up 25 percent last year
25%. That's how much Microsoft's carbon emissions spiked last year—and AI infrastructure is the culprit.
Why it matters
Microsoft's datacenter expansion to support AI workloads is creating a sustainability crisis that threatens the company's 2030 carbon-negative pledge and signals a broader industry problem: AI infrastructure's massive environmental cost is becoming a board-level risk.
The key facts
9 to knowMicrosoft carbon emissions increased 25% in 2025
Total emissions: 34 million metric tons
Primary driver: datacenter infrastructure expansion
Company abandoned non-additional renewable energy certificates in Feb 2025
2030 carbon-negative target at risk
AI compute buildout directly linked to emissions spike
Company stopped purchasing non-additional renewable energy certificates in Feb 2025
2030 carbon-negative goal now at risk
Report published in 2026 sustainability disclosure
Go to the source
The Verge AItheverge.com
Publisher excerpt: Microsoft may once again be struggling to keep up with its own climate goals, according to its 2026 sustainability report. As reported by GeekWire, the report states that Microsoft's carbon emissions increased 25 percent in 2025, totalling 34 million metric tons "without select interventions."…