Microsoft said to pause carbon removal purchases, Heatmap reports

Microsoft (MSFT), which has made the “overwhelming majority” of carbon removal purchases in recent years, has begun telling suppliers and partners that it is pausing future purchases of carbon removal, reported Heatmap’s Robinson Meyer on April 10, citing two people informed of the plans. The news “deals a potentially major setback to the fledgling carbon removal industry, ” though it is not yet clear whether the company could still increase its investment in existing projects or when it might resume future purchases, said the report. In a statement, a Microsoft spokesperson denied that the company was indefinitely pausing all of its purchases, stating: “We continually review and assess our carbon removal portfolio along with market conditions for the optimal balance on our path to carbon negative.”