Microsoft carbon emissions rose 25 percent in 2025 as AI data centers grow

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Microsoft's carbon emissions rose by 25% in 2025, primarily due to the expansion of AI data center infrastructure. The company is prioritizing investments to bring net positive environmental impact despite the emissions increase.

Microsoft reported a 25 percent jump in carbon emissions in 2025 as it sets out to grow its use of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. The emissions increase was “driven primarily by the expansion of our datacenter infrastructure and pausing our use of non-additional, unbundled renewable energy certificates as we prioritize investments that bring net…