- Carbon credit purchases have increased sharply since the rise of AI
- Companies are using carbon offsetting to offset data center emissions
- Sustainability and net zero emissions goals threatened by rapid expansion
New research has claimed to show the role carbon credits play in the world of big tech, with companies such as Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft increasing their purchases in recent years.
The increases broadly align with a rise in AI, as energy-intensive data centers put enormous pressure on companies that had already set net-zero goals before this change.
Carbon credits serve as an essential tool to offset the emissions a company produces, and one credit is equivalent to one metric ton of CO2.
Article continues below.
Companies are using carbon credits to offset AI
Research carried out by the carbon credit management platform Ceezer (via CNBC) stated that there were 68.4 million carbon credit purchases in 2025, an increase of 181% from the 24.4 million sold in 2024, which in turn was a 104% increase from 11.9 million in 2023.
Overall, artificial intelligence has greatly changed the sustainability trajectories of companies, and the rapid expansion of data centers requires much more energy, water and other resources.
For now, it is unlikely that companies will be able to meet their goals without purchasing carbon credits, given the immense expansions of data centers and the much slower development of clean energy solutions.
Microsoft appears to be one of the biggest buyers, reporting a 247% increase in credit purchases between fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2023, and then a further 337% increase through fiscal 2024.
However, at the same time, companies are also investing in renewable energies such as wind and solar, in addition to seeking to increase the energy efficiency of the components that make up data centers. In February 2025, Amazon declared that it was the “largest corporate buyer of renewable energy in Europe.”
That said, while carbon credits are a current solution to offset some of the emissions produced, it is clear that reducing those emissions in the first place would be the best option.
For now, only time will tell if Big Tech’s sustainability and net-zero emissions goals will be met, or if AI has moved companies away from those goals.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
