This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-51133811
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Microsoft makes 'carbon negative' pledge | Microsoft makes 'carbon negative' pledge |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Microsoft has pledged to remove "all of the carbon" from the environment that it has emitted since the company was founded in 1975. | Microsoft has pledged to remove "all of the carbon" from the environment that it has emitted since the company was founded in 1975. |
| Chief executive Satya Nadella said he wanted to achieve the goal by 2050. | Chief executive Satya Nadella said he wanted to achieve the goal by 2050. |
| To do so, the company will become "carbon negative" by 2030, removing more carbon from the environment than it emits. | To do so, the company will become "carbon negative" by 2030, removing more carbon from the environment than it emits. |
| It goes beyond a pledge by cloud-computing rival Amazon, which intends to go "carbon neutral" by 2040. | It goes beyond a pledge by cloud-computing rival Amazon, which intends to go "carbon neutral" by 2040. |
| "When it comes to carbon, neutrality is not enough," said Microsoft president Brad Smith. | "When it comes to carbon, neutrality is not enough," said Microsoft president Brad Smith. |
| Carbon neutral v carbon negative | Carbon neutral v carbon negative |
| When a business says it is carbon neutral, it aims to effectively add no carbon to the atmosphere. | When a business says it is carbon neutral, it aims to effectively add no carbon to the atmosphere. |
| It can do this by: | It can do this by: |
| Until now, most companies have focused on offsetting emissions to achieve neutrality. | |
| This often involves funding projects in developing economies to reduce carbon emissions there, for example building hydroelectric power plants, encouraging families to stop using wood-based stoves, and helping businesses make use of solar power. These reductions are then deducted from the main company's own output. | This often involves funding projects in developing economies to reduce carbon emissions there, for example building hydroelectric power plants, encouraging families to stop using wood-based stoves, and helping businesses make use of solar power. These reductions are then deducted from the main company's own output. |
| The result of this slows carbon emissions rather than reversing them. | The result of this slows carbon emissions rather than reversing them. |
| To be carbon negative a company must actually remove more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits. | To be carbon negative a company must actually remove more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits. |
| Microsoft says it will do this using a range of carbon capture and storage technologies. | Microsoft says it will do this using a range of carbon capture and storage technologies. |
| The announcement was largely welcomed by environmentalists, who said it showed Microsoft was thinking about the bigger picture around climate change and not just its own role. | The announcement was largely welcomed by environmentalists, who said it showed Microsoft was thinking about the bigger picture around climate change and not just its own role. |
| But Elizabeth Jardim, a senior campaigner with Greenpeace, warned that Microsoft still needed to address its ongoing relationship with oil and gas companies. | But Elizabeth Jardim, a senior campaigner with Greenpeace, warned that Microsoft still needed to address its ongoing relationship with oil and gas companies. |
| "While there is a lot to celebrate in Microsoft's announcement, a gaping hole remains unaddressed: Microsoft's expanding efforts to help fossil fuel companies drill more oil and gas with machine-learning and other AI technologies," she said. | "While there is a lot to celebrate in Microsoft's announcement, a gaping hole remains unaddressed: Microsoft's expanding efforts to help fossil fuel companies drill more oil and gas with machine-learning and other AI technologies," she said. |
| Microsoft's plan is still more aggressive than those taken by other tech firms. It puts Microsoft 20 years ahead of its previous plan to become carbon neutral. | Microsoft's plan is still more aggressive than those taken by other tech firms. It puts Microsoft 20 years ahead of its previous plan to become carbon neutral. |
| How will Microsoft achieve its goal? | How will Microsoft achieve its goal? |
| Microsoft has suggested a range of ways it could remove carbon from the atmosphere, including: | Microsoft has suggested a range of ways it could remove carbon from the atmosphere, including: |
| Tech companies' manufacturing and data storage centres create large amounts of carbon emissions. | Tech companies' manufacturing and data storage centres create large amounts of carbon emissions. |
| Microsoft said it planned to halve emissions created directly by the company and across its supply chain by 2030. | |
| The company will still be creating carbon emissions, but the firm said it would invest in technology such as carbon capturing to offset the problem. | The company will still be creating carbon emissions, but the firm said it would invest in technology such as carbon capturing to offset the problem. |
| Microsoft said its data centres and other facilities would use 100% renewable energy by 2025. | Microsoft said its data centres and other facilities would use 100% renewable energy by 2025. |