Microsoft

Microsoft has paused all new carbon removal purchases. The company that bought roughly 90 percent of durable CDR last year, more than 45 million tonnes in 2025 alone, is stepping back. Existing contracts continue. New ones are on hold with no resumption date. Microsoft cited a portfolio and market reassessment. That single decision rewires the entire buy side of the market. The next-largest buyer, Frontier, has contracted around 1.8 million tonnes lifetime. Microsoft was not just the biggest customer. It was the market. ...

New BNEF data reveals Microsoft purchased nearly all carbon removal credits sold globally last year — a lifeline for startups, but a warning sign for the industry.

Microsoft bought 93% of all global carbon removals in 2025. Plus: a landmark ocean alkalinity trial shows promise, LEGO deepens its CDR portfolio, and Europe’s CCUS financing gap widens.