Microsoft has always been one of the largest and most influential technology companies around, and they have recently been highly focused on their emission goals.
Microsoft has taken significant measures to offset its carbon footprint in light of the world's urgent carbon problem. Now, Microsoft uses marine algae to achieve its objectives.
TechCrunch reports that the tech giant has partnered with Running Tide, a carbon removal startup specializing in using the ocean to sequester carbon, to remove up to 12,000 tons over two years.
Locking Up Carbon Under the Ocean
How exactly does this plan work effectively? Running Tide intends to use the funding from Microsoft and other partners like Stripe and Shopify to grow kelp on biodegradable buoys to remove vast carbon dioxide.
These buoys combine wood and alkaline minerals to create a small carbon buoy planted with algae and deployed in the open ocean.
Through a process known as ocean alkalinity enhancement, the buoy floats, and alkaline minerals dissolve, lowering ocean acidification and removing carbon.
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After some time, the buoy and the algae sink to the ocean floor along with the embodied carbon, which drops below 1,000 meters and remains there for approximately 1,000 years.
Is This Enough to Tackle Microsoft's Carbon Emissions?
Protocol reported in March 2022 that Microsoft's most recent sustainability report revealed some bad news for its lofty environmental goals. In contrast to recent years, the company's carbon dioxide emissions increased by 21.5% in 2021.
Microsoft's total emissions in 2021 are presumed to be around 14 million metric tons. Reports say that to achieve net negative, the company will need to magnify its annual removals by five folds.
Meanwhile, scientists are concerned that venture-backed carbon sequestration schemes, such as massive kelp farms, may inadvertently harm ocean ecosystems.
In 2022, MIT Technology Review reported on this issue. The review mentioned that expanding the activity would require a vast ocean, affecting underwater lifeforms and effectively creating imbalance.
On the other hand, Running Tide believes that the buoys are seeded based on optimal ocean conditions for algae growth and that this method will not harm the ocean ecosystem.
This partnership is crucial for Microsoft to achieve its sustainability goals since its commitment to carbon negativity depends on carbon removal. TechCrunch reports that Microsoft declined to comment on the deal's price with Running Tide, which has a value in the low millions.
More from Microsoft's Net Zero Target
Aside from tapping into ocean algae, Microsoft has launched Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability, a new cloud offering designed to help businesses take control of their environmental initiatives.
Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability provides comprehensive, integrated, and automated insights to help organizations accelerate each stage of their sustainability journey.
This cloud offering aims to help customers aggregate sustainability data in an actionable way rather than simply capturing it.
Microsoft has been making strides towards achieving its carbon negativity goals.
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