Tech Carbon Removal Deals
Microsoft Has Purchased Metric Tonnes of Carbon Removal Credits
Adam Harrie — May 22, 2026
In May, Microsoft inked a deal with BioCirc for 650,000 metric tonnes of carbon removal credits. The deal was signed weeks after reports circulated that the company had halted new purchases. The carbon removal credits come from five biogas projects that convert agricultural biomass waste into methane and CO₂, capture the CO₂ in an offshore underground reservoir and burn the methane to generate power.
Microsoft has pushed back on the pause narrative, framing the shift as a recalibration. The company controls an estimated 90% of the carbon removal credit market, meaning its purchasing pace can determine whether startups in the space thrive.
The BioCirc deal suggests Microsoft remains on track to achieve carbon negativity by 2030, even as the gap between its emissions and removal purchases widens.
