Microsoft Isn’t Actually the Savior of Carbon Removal

The carbon market was the subject of drama last week after climate-focused publication Heatmap News reported that Microsoft Corp. was “pausing future purchases” of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits. The tech company quickly disputed the idea that it was abandoning CDR, saying it “may adjust the pace or volume” of its efforts, but that any such adjustments do not indicate “a change in ambition.”

The back-and-forth prompted much fretting over Microsoft’s outsize impact on the carbon-removal market, and how its loss would leave the industry “reeling.” But was the alarm justified? Was the CDR market really staring death in the face?