Carbon neutral v carbon negative
When a business says it is carbon neutral, it aims to effectively add no carbon to the atmosphere. It can do this by:- balancing its emissions, for example by removing a tonne of carbon from the atmosphere for every tonne it has produced
- offsetting its emissions, for example by investing in projects that reduce emissions elsewhere in the world
- not releasing greenhouse gases in the first place, for example by switching to renewable energy sources
How will Microsoft achieve its goal?
Microsoft has suggested a range of ways it could remove carbon from the atmosphere, including:- seeding new forests and expanding existing ones
- soil carbon sequestration - a process of putting carbon back into the ground. This could be achieved by adding microbes and nutrients to parched earth, which should have the added benefits of making the soil more fertile and less susceptible to erosion
- direct air capture - sucking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, possibly by using large fans to move air through a filter that can remove the gas
- bio-energy with carbon capture - growing crops and then capturing the CO2 they emit when, for example, they are burned to produce heat or fermented to make fuels such as bioethanol. Negative emissions become possible if the amount of CO2 stored as a result is greater than that emitted during production, transport and use
How do Microsoft's plans compare to rivals?
Software-maker Intuit has also pledged to be carbon negative by 2030. The Californian company has said it will reduce emissions by 50 times more than its 2018 carbon footprint. Amazon's Jeff Bezos announced in September 2019 that his company would be carbon neutral by 2040. His pledge included plans to buy 100,000 electric vehicles for the online retailer's delivery fleet. Google has launched a set of digital tools to allow cities to track and reduce emissions. The search giant also offsets its own emissions by investing in green projects.DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
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