Microsoft’s Data Center Boom Tests Its Climate Promises

Microsoft’s Data Center Boom Tests Its Climate Promises

How Microsoft’s Data Centers Are Undermining Its Climate Goals Can Microsoft be both a leader in cloud computing and a sustainability champion? As Microsoft races to build AI-powered data centers, many are asking how this growth aligns with its bold environmental promises. Microsoft’s latest sustainability report for fiscal year 2024 reveals a troubling contradiction: while the tech giant has pledged to become carbon negative by 2030, its carbon emissions have risen 23.4% since 2020. The culprit? Rapid data center expansion fueled by demand for cloud services and artificial intelligence — an industry trend with significant carbon implications. Why Data Centers Are Microsoft’s Biggest Emissions Driver The report highlights Scope 3 emissions — those indirectly generated through Microsoft’s supply chain — as the primary obstacle. These emissions, which account for over  97% of the company’s total carbon footprint , stem largely from construction materials like  carbon-intensive concrete and st…