Microsoft, looking to build data centers, considers dumping climate goal, report states

Microsoft stands out as one of Big Tech’s most environmentally friendly companies, but a new report says it may be moving away from one of its most ambitious climate goals.

The Redmond, Washington-based company previously committed to offsetting 100% of its hourly electricity consumption with renewable energy purchases by 2030; Microsoft is already meeting its annual renewable energy targets.

Now, amid pressure to build data centers to power AI, Microsoft is considering delaying or abandoning that time target, Bloomberg reports.

The hourly clean energy target is named 100/100/0, indicating the intention to match all of its energy consumption, at all times, with carbon-free energy purchases. That goal is complicated by the huge sums Microsoft is spending on data centers, about $190 billion by the end of the year. The data center boom equals less money for other business projects, like clean energy. Faced with these costs, Microsoft has already begun to reduce its carbon dioxide elimination program.

Many technology companies are turning to natural gas – which emits greenhouse gases – to partially power their data centers, rather than cleaner energy sources like solar, wind or hydroelectric power.

Big Tech companies are all emitting more carbon in the wake of the AI ​​race; Microsoft has seen a 23% increase in its carbon emissions since the end of 2022, while Google’s has increased by 51% and Meta’s by 64% over the same period, Bloomberg reports.