Microsoft bought 80% fewer removal credits as emissions rose 25%
Microsoft just bought about 80% fewer carbon removal credits so far this year than it did in the same time period last year, the first drop in three years.
The big reason? Huge investments in artificial intelligence, which have pushed the company's emissions up by 25%.
Even with these changes, Microsoft says it's sticking to its decarbonization goals.
Microsoft $41B Q2 spending fuels AI
From April to June 2026 alone, Microsoft spent a whopping $41 billion, with a majority of that money going toward artificial intelligence initiatives and data center construction, expecting to hit roughly $175 billion on A.I. infrastructure this entire year.
While AI can help manage renewable energy smarter, it also makes extracting fossil fuels more efficient, so emissions keep climbing.
Plus, all those new data centers are making local air pollution worse and creating heat islands. That's why places like New York state are now putting limits on building more of them.