Microsoft 's total carbon emissions have risen nearly 30% since 2020 primarily due to the construction of data centers, the company said in its annual sustainability report Wednesday.
However, its indirect emissions — those that stem from all other activities Microsoft engages in — increased 30.9% during the same period.
The increase in Microsoft's indirect emissions is largely due to the building materials and hardware components, such as semiconductors, servers and racks, used in constructing more data centers.
The expansion of data centers poses a challenge to tech companies that have set ambitious timelines to eliminate their carbon footprints.
Goldman Sachs expects natural gas to fuel 60% of the increased power demand from data centers, while renewables will power the remaining 40%.
Persons:
Goldman Sachs
Organizations:
Microsoft Times, Microsoft, Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, Brookfield Asset Management, Brookfield
Locations:
New York City, Swedish