Microsoft adds direct capture of CO2 from the Air to its Climate Strategy

Globe Live Media, Thursday, January 28, 2021

The software giant Microsoft has included the technique of direct capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air to its strategy to become a “zero carbon” company in 2030, explained this Thursday in an interview with Globe Live Media the environmental manager of the firm, Lucas Joppa.

Direct air capture consists of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through a chemical process to later store it deep underground or use it in industrial production, and there are currently 15 plants in the world that carry out this function, according to the Agency International Energy.

“In addition to storing it underground, there are other options and markets can be found for carbon dioxide, such as in the carbonated beverage industry,” said Joppa, who explained that Microsoft’s agreement with the Swiss company Climeworks (dedicated to these operations) contemplates the withdrawal of 1,400 tons of this gas.

Direct CO2 capture is one of the several projects in which the company that created the Windows operating system has invested to advance in the face of the commitment made last year to be a “negative carbon” company by 2030, that is, to eliminate from the atmosphere more carbon dioxide than it emits and thus contribute to the fight against climate change.

This commitment, announced by the president of the company, Brad Smith, last January, now celebrates one year, during which the firm claims to have reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 6%, a rate that, if maintained, will allow it would enable the goal to be achieved within nine years.

Another of the highlights of Microsoft’s climate strategy and on which it also offered more details in a report published this Thursday, is to become a “positive water” company, that is, that more water returns to nature. the one you consume in your operations.

This is achieved, according to Joppa told GLM, through projects such as investment in forest and wetland management improvements to increase water retention or the elimination of paved areas that prevent water from leaking onto the land.

“We would like to see a more structured market in this field,” said the executive, alluding to the difficulty that currently exists in finding and investing in organizations dedicated to projects of this type.

The Redmond firm (Washington state, USA) also presented the advances in its “planetary computer”, a platform open to the public that will bring together huge amounts of data related to the environment and preservation efforts.