Microsoft's 2026 sustainability report reveals a 25% increase in carbon emissions from the previous year, totaling 34 million metric tons. This increase is attributed to the expansion of data center infrastructure and a shift away from purchasing certain renewable energy certificates. Despite a goal to become carbon negative by 2030, Microsoft acknowledges that sustainability solutions are not keeping pace with the rising demands of AI infrastructure. This trend of increasing emissions has been consistent, as noted in previous reports, highlighting ongoing challenges in meeting climate objectives.

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Microsoft’s carbon emissions went up 25 percent last year

The company’s annual sustainability report also says sustainability solutions aren’t keeping up with AI demands.

byStevie Bonifield

Jul 9, 2026, 8:04 PM EDT

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Stevie Bonifieldis a news writer covering all things consumer tech. Stevie started out at Laptop Mag writing news and reviews on hardware, gaming, and AI.

Microsoft may once again be struggling to keep up with its own climate goals, according to its 2026 sustainability report. As reported by GeekWire, the report states that Microsoft’s carbon emissions increased 25 percent in 2025, totalling 34 million metric tons “without select interventions.” Microsoft says this was “driven primarily by the expansion of our datacenter infrastructure,” as well as the company’s decision last February to stop purchasing “non-additional, unbundled renewable energy certificates.”

Several years ago, Microsoft set itself a goal to be carbon negative by 2030, meaning it will need to remove more carbon emissions than it produces. This isn’t the first time Microsoft has faced setbacks toward accomplishing that goal, as its 2024 sustainability report showed a similar rise in climate pollution. This year’s report admits that, “While AI infrastructure is driving demand for energy, water, land, and materials, sustainability solutions are not scaling fast enough to meet demand.”

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Google similarly reported a 25 percent spike in its supply chain emissions in its 2026 sustainability report, with Amazon reporting a slightly lower 16 percent increase. In June, Amazon also reported that its data centers used 2.5 billion gallons of water in 2025, which it claims is less than Microsoft used.

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