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Microsoft has taken a major step towards combating local weather change by investing in a large-scale reforestation undertaking in Brazil. The tech large has partnered with Re.inexperienced, a Brazilian ecological restoration startup, to revive degraded rainforest and pastureland, a transfer aimed toward counteracting the environmental influence of its rising AI operations. The deal, valued at an estimated $200 million, will span 25 years and contain the acquisition of three.5 million carbon credit.
Addressing AI’s Environmental Impact
Microsoft’s rising use of synthetic intelligence has considerably elevated its vitality consumption. The growth of information facilities to help AI growth has led to a spike in carbon emissions, complicating the corporate’s pledge to be carbon-negative by 2030. In 2023 alone, Microsoft’s carbon footprint rose by 40 p.c in comparison with 2020, reaching over 17 million metric tons of CO₂.
According to a Financial Times report, to counterbalance this influence Microsoft is popping to nature-based options like reforestation, that are extra reasonably priced than superior carbon seize applied sciences.
Why Brazil?
Brazil’s Amazon and Atlantic forests are among the many most biodiverse ecosystems on the earth however have suffered important degradation attributable to farming and cattle grazing. Re.inexperienced goals to revive these lands by planting native species and managing them sustainably, funded by means of the sale of carbon credit and licensed hardwood.
“We consider Microsoft’s carbon removal program to be a global benchmark for high integrity carbon removal and a leader in scientific advancement, validating our trajectory,” mentioned Re.inexperienced CEO Thiago Picolo. “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 caliber.”
This isn’t Microsoft’s first collaboration with Re.inexperienced. In May 2024, the 2 partnered on the same initiative for three million carbon credit over 15 years. The earlier settlement noticed the corporate fund the planting of over 10 million native timber throughout 16,000 hectares of degraded pastureland throughout Brazil, together with within the States of Maranhão and Bahia.
Microsoft shouldn’t be alone in its pursuit of carbon neutrality. Companies like Google, Amazon, Salesforce, and Meta are additionally exploring nature-based and technology-driven carbon elimination methods. These ongoing efforts mirror the tech business’s push to steadiness innovation with sustainability, as corporations attempt to fulfill formidable local weather objectives whereas increasing their AI capabilities.
Read extra about how AI is getting used to combat local weather change or find out about its influence on air pollution.
