Why Microsoft Just Signed a Deal for Green Cement
The software giant is teaming up with a low-carbon cement startup to help address emissions from the construction of data centers.
A Sublime Systems concrete cylinder.
Photographer: Bob O'Connor/Sublime Systems
Microsoft Corp. is partnering with Sublime Systems to reduce its indirect greenhouse gas emissions through a first-of-a-kind deal to buy low-carbon cement products from the startup.
Under the contract, Microsoft can purchase up to 622,500 metric tons of Sublime’s cement over a period of six to nine years. Microsoft can claim the carbon reductions associated with that cement in its own emissions accounting, even if it doesn’t use the material itself. If Microsoft passes on buying the product, the Somerville, Massachusetts-based Sublime can sell it to local buyers but the software giant still gets to claim the carbon savings.