Microsoft’s latest sustainability report sparked claims that the company produced 34 million metric tons of carbon emissions in a single year. That figure was never reported by the company. What the report actually shows is a 25 percent year‑over‑year increase driven by AI datacenter expansion and Microsoft’s decision to stop buying unbundled renewable energy certificates.
The Microsoft Environmental Sustainability Report shows a complicated progression of rising emissions caused by AI datacenters, controversial "greenwashing" tactics, and enough wiggle room to leave space for debate.
