Amazon Joins Microsoft, Investing in Technology For Decarbonization
Amazon has affirmed its commitment to helping reduce carbon in the atmosphere in the race to combat global warming. The e-commerce giant is funding the world’s largest direct air capture (DAC) technology deployment used in sucking CO2 from the atmosphere. The company will purchase a quarter of a million metric tons of carbon removal over the next decade from the first plant developed by carbon removal Technology Company 1PointFive.
Amazon Decarbonization Push
The carbon that is to be removed by the direct air capture technology is to be stored underground in saline aquifers, which are large rock formations. A quarter of a million metric tons of the saline aquifers with CO2 will be equivalent to the emissions in one year from 55,633 fossil fuel cars. The investment in DAC technology is part of Amazon’s bid to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere.
The tech giant has been investing millions of dollars as it looks to play a key role in combating greenhouse emissions. Its Climate Pledge Fund has invested in climate tech firm CarbonCapture Inc. That is helping accelerate the commercial deployment of new DAC materials that absorb carbon from the atmosphere.
With the two investments, the company is now positioned to target emissions that cannot be eliminated from the source. The investments also position the company to help develop technologies that should help avert the worst effects of global climate change.
In addition to helping reduce CO2 in the atmosphere, the tech giant is also decarbonizing its operations to ensure it limits CO2 emissions from its operations. It’s been investing in and adopting renewable energy sources, from solar to wind, to power its operations. The company has also started relying on electric cars for its delivery fleet in the race to reduce CO2 emissions from its operations.
Microsoft Carbon Credits
It Joins Microsoft, which has also invested millions of dollars in the race to combat carbon emissions. The software giant has already reached an agreement to purchase carbon credits from California-based Heirloom Carbon. The company uses limestone to remove carbon from the atmosphere instead of using DAC technology.
Microsoft is on course to remove up to 315,200 metric tons of carbon dioxide over the next decade by purchasing carbon credits. The removal is poised to offset the carbon emitted by at least 70,000 gas-powered cars. Heirloom’s has already attracted an investment of up to $600 million from the Department of Energy to help in the decarbonization spree.
Even as Amazon and Microsoft make huge leaps in the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere, scientists insist there is still some work to be done to bring the situation under control and slow down climate change. Removing about 1 trillion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is needed to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees.
Therefore, new and better technologies are needed to help reduce the CO2 in the atmosphere that has been fuelling global warming. To solve the problem, new innovation and invention of technologies that don’t exist is highly needed.
