- Purchases of carbon credits have increased sharply since the AI boom
- Companies are using carbon offsetting to counter data center emissions
- Net zero emissions and sustainability goals at risk from rapid expansion
New research claims to show just how big a role carbon credits play in the world of Big Tech, with companies like Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft all increasing their purchases in recent years.
These increases largely align with the rise of AI, with energy-hungry data centers putting enormous pressure on companies that had already set net-zero emissions targets before this shift.
Carbon credits are an essential tool for offsetting the emissions produced by a company, with one credit equivalent to one metric ton of CO2.
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Companies use carbon credits to offset AI
Search by the Ceezer carbon credit management platform (via CNBC) claimed that there were 68.4 million purchases of carbon credits in 2025, an increase of 181% from the 24.4 million sold in 2024, which itself represented a 104% increase from the 11.9 million in 2023.
Overall, artificial intelligence has significantly changed business trajectories in terms of sustainability, with the rapid expansion of data centers requiring significantly more energy, water and other resources.
For now, it is unlikely that companies will be able to meet their targets without purchasing carbon credits, given the immense expansion 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 FY 2022 and FY 2023, then an additional 337% increase through FY 2024.
However, at the same time, companies are also investing in renewable energy such as wind and solar power, and also looking to increase the energy efficiency of the components that make up data centers. In February 2025, Amazon declared that it was “the leading corporate buyer of renewable energy in Europe”.
That being said, although carbon credits are a current solution to offset some of the emissions produced, it is clear that reducing these emissions in the first place would be the best option.
For now, only time will tell whether big tech’s sustainability and net-zero emissions goals will be met, or whether AI has pushed companies further away from these goals.
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