Latest news with #CarbonDirect
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Carbon Direct & Microsoft Release 2025 Criteria for High-Quality Carbon Dioxide Removal
Fifth edition introduces criteria for marine carbon removal pathways and enhanced technical guidance across all CDR pathways. Updated criteria incorporates lessons from Microsoft's 22-million-tonne procurement program and reflects evolving regulatory frameworks, carbon markets, and climate science. Technical glossaries and refined measurement protocols strengthen accessibility and scientific rigor for project developers and buyers. NEW YORK, July 10, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Carbon Direct and Microsoft today announced the release of the 2025 edition of the Criteria for High-Quality Carbon Dioxide Removal. This fifth edition, which builds on multiple years of application, market feedback, and advances in climate science, continues to shape the global conversation on high-quality carbon removal and the evolution in carbon dioxide removal (CDR) quality benchmarks. The inaugural criteria were introduced in 2021 and are updated annually, serving as the industry's leading resource for project developers seeking to deliver high-integrity carbon removal, and for buyers evaluating the quality of their CDR portfolios. >> Read the 2025 Criteria for High-Quality Carbon Dioxide Removal Climate science and recent policy developments underscore the urgency for rapid deployment and scale-up of CDR technologies, with estimates indicating the global community must remove 100-1,000 billion metric tonnes (Gt) of carbon dioxide (GtCO2) by 2100 to limit warming to 1.5°C, requiring annual removals of 5-10 GtCO2 by midcentury. Current deployment of high-quality CDR remains only a fraction of what is needed, highlighting a significant gap. In response, major U.S. legislation has delivered unprecedented funding and incentives for CDR, the EU has established a rigorous certification framework to ensure quality and transparency, dozens of countries now include CDR in their climate strategies, and COP29's Article 6.4 guidance has clarified international rules for trading CDR between nations, collectively laying the groundwork for scaling CDR to meet global climate targets. "Science and policy advances continue to demonstrate the critical need for equitable, science-based CDR standards that not only guide CDR, but also inform broader sustainability procurement strategies, including environmental attribute certificates for industrial decarbonization, and corporate insetting programs," said Jonathan Goldberg, CEO, Carbon Direct. "Quality remains the biggest challenge in rapidly scaling and advancing high-impact carbon dioxide removal. Adhering to evidence-based CDR criteria is imperative; these updated 2025 benchmarks provide the rigorous, science-based framework needed to help the industry maintain quality, assisting buyers in making informed decisions as we scale toward the gigatonne removals needed to achieve climate goals." The 2025 edition establishes rigorous standards across nine distinct CDR pathways, ranging from nature-based solutions, including afforestation and soil carbon sequestration, to engineered approaches, such as direct air capture, and the newly addressed abiotic marine methods. Each pathway includes updated guidance reflecting the latest scientific research, operational experience, and regulatory developments. Breakthrough guidance for marine carbon removal: The 2025 criteria mark are among the first comprehensive standards established for abiotic marine CDR, specifically Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) and Direct Ocean Removal (DOR). These ocean-based approaches represent potentially massive-scale carbon removal opportunities, but require specialized monitoring protocols for both carbon accounting and marine ecosystem protection. The new guidance addresses unique challenges, including ocean circulation modeling, biogeochemical monitoring, and environmental risk management in marine environments. Enhanced technical precision across all pathways: Every CDR method received updated technical requirements, with new glossaries defining specialized terminology and clarifying complex concepts. The enhanced guidance reflects operational learnings from Microsoft's expanded procurement program, which has contracted over 22 million tonnes of CDR, and evaluated more than 400 project applications, since 2023. Strengthened measurement and verification standards: The 2025 edition places increased emphasis on direct measurement over modeling where feasible, while acknowledging the continued role of validated models in comprehensive carbon accounting. Updated measurement protocols incorporate advances in remote sensing, automated monitoring systems, and analytical techniques that have emerged since the previous edition. Microsoft's procurement experience directly informs the updated guidance. The company's CDR program has grown from 1.3 million tonnes in 2021 to over 22 million tonnes contracted in fiscal year 2024, with applications increasing 90% since the program's inaugural year. This market engagement provides real-world validation of quality standards and implementation challenges. "These updated criteria reflect our accumulated experience evaluating hundreds of CDR projects across multiple pathways and geographies," said Brian Marrs, Senior Director of Energy Markets at Microsoft. "The 2025 criteria reflect the latest science and operational insights, providing a foundation for continuous improvement to help ensure that as the carbon removal market grows, it does so with integrity and transparency." Carbon Direct's framework outlines six science-based principles that apply across engineered, hybrid, and nature-based removal approaches: 1) Social harms, benefits, and environmental justice; 2) Environmental harms and benefits; 3) Additionality and baselines; 4) Measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MMRV); 5) Durability; and 6) Leakage. These principles provide a consistent foundation for procurement evaluation and project benchmarking. Carbon Direct and Microsoft plan to continue their collaboration on future editions, with potential expansion into additional emerging pathways, including wetland restoration and carbon dioxide utilization technologies. The organizations remain committed to advancing CDR market development through transparent, science-based quality standards. To read the 2025 Criteria for High-Quality Carbon Dioxide Removal, visit: To read the blog from Carbon Direct, visit: About Carbon Direct Carbon Direct is the leader in science-based carbon management, helping emerging and established climate leaders like Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase, American Express, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, JetBlue, and The Russell Family Foundation drive scalable and just impact through deep decarbonization strategies and carbon dioxide removal. With Carbon Direct's scientific approach, organizations can confidently set targets and measure their emissions, implement reductions across their operations and supply chain, and build high-quality carbon dioxide removal into their climate plans to accelerate impact. To learn more visit: View source version on Contacts The ColabPR for Carbon Directpress@
Business Wire
10-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Carbon Direct & Microsoft Release 2025 Criteria for High-Quality Carbon Dioxide Removal
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Carbon Direct and Microsoft today announced the release of the 2025 edition of the Criteria for High-Quality Carbon Dioxide Removal. This fifth edition, which builds on multiple years of application, market feedback, and advances in climate science, continues to shape the global conversation on high-quality carbon removal and the evolution in carbon dioxide removal (CDR) quality benchmarks. The inaugural criteria were introduced in 2021 and are updated annually, serving as the industry's leading resource for project developers seeking to deliver high-integrity carbon removal, and for buyers evaluating the quality of their CDR portfolios. Climate science and recent policy developments underscore the urgency for rapid deployment and scale-up of CDR technologies, with estimates indicating the global community must remove 100-1,000 billion metric tonnes (Gt) of carbon dioxide (GtCO 2) by 2100 to limit warming to 1.5°C, requiring annual removals of 5-10 GtCO2 by midcentury. Current deployment of high-quality CDR remains only a fraction of what is needed, highlighting a significant gap. In response, major U.S. legislation has delivered unprecedented funding and incentives for CDR, the EU has established a rigorous certification framework to ensure quality and transparency, dozens of countries now include CDR in their climate strategies, and COP29's Article 6.4 guidance has clarified international rules for trading CDR between nations, collectively laying the groundwork for scaling CDR to meet global climate targets. 'Science and policy advances continue to demonstrate the critical need for equitable, science-based CDR standards that not only guide CDR, but also inform broader sustainability procurement strategies, including environmental attribute certificates for industrial decarbonization, and corporate insetting programs,' said Jonathan Goldberg, CEO, Carbon Direct. 'Quality remains the biggest challenge in rapidly scaling and advancing high-impact carbon dioxide removal. Adhering to evidence-based CDR criteria is imperative; these updated 2025 benchmarks provide the rigorous, science-based framework needed to help the industry maintain quality, assisting buyers in making informed decisions as we scale toward the gigatonne removals needed to achieve climate goals." The 2025 edition establishes rigorous standards across nine distinct CDR pathways, ranging from nature-based solutions, including afforestation and soil carbon sequestration, to engineered approaches, such as direct air capture, and the newly addressed abiotic marine methods. Each pathway includes updated guidance reflecting the latest scientific research, operational experience, and regulatory developments. Breakthrough guidance for marine carbon removal: The 2025 criteria mark are among the first comprehensive standards established for abiotic marine CDR, specifically Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) and Direct Ocean Removal (DOR). These ocean-based approaches represent potentially massive-scale carbon removal opportunities, but require specialized monitoring protocols for both carbon accounting and marine ecosystem protection. The new guidance addresses unique challenges, including ocean circulation modeling, biogeochemical monitoring, and environmental risk management in marine environments. Enhanced technical precision across all pathways: Every CDR method received updated technical requirements, with new glossaries defining specialized terminology and clarifying complex concepts. The enhanced guidance reflects operational learnings from Microsoft's expanded procurement program, which has contracted over 22 million tonnes of CDR, and evaluated more than 400 project applications, since 2023. Strengthened measurement and verification standards: The 2025 edition places increased emphasis on direct measurement over modeling where feasible, while acknowledging the continued role of validated models in comprehensive carbon accounting. Updated measurement protocols incorporate advances in remote sensing, automated monitoring systems, and analytical techniques that have emerged since the previous edition. Microsoft's procurement experience directly informs the updated guidance. The company's CDR program has grown from 1.3 million tonnes in 2021 to over 22 million tonnes contracted in fiscal year 2024, with applications increasing 90% since the program's inaugural year. This market engagement provides real-world validation of quality standards and implementation challenges. 'These updated criteria reflect our accumulated experience evaluating hundreds of CDR projects across multiple pathways and geographies," said Brian Marrs, Senior Director of Energy Markets at Microsoft. 'The 2025 criteria reflect the latest science and operational insights, providing a foundation for continuous improvement to help ensure that as the carbon removal market grows, it does so with integrity and transparency.' Carbon Direct's framework outlines six science-based principles that apply across engineered, hybrid, and nature-based removal approaches: 1) Social harms, benefits, and environmental justice; 2) Environmental harms and benefits; 3) Additionality and baselines; 4) Measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MMRV); 5) Durability; and 6) Leakage. These principles provide a consistent foundation for procurement evaluation and project benchmarking. Carbon Direct and Microsoft plan to continue their collaboration on future editions, with potential expansion into additional emerging pathways, including wetland restoration and carbon dioxide utilization technologies. The organizations remain committed to advancing CDR market development through transparent, science-based quality standards. To read the 2025 Criteria for High-Quality Carbon Dioxide Removal, visit: Carbon Direct is the leader in science-based carbon management, helping emerging and established climate leaders like Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase, American Express, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, JetBlue, and The Russell Family Foundation drive scalable and just impact through deep decarbonization strategies and carbon dioxide removal. With Carbon Direct's scientific approach, organizations can confidently set targets and measure their emissions, implement reductions across their operations and supply chain, and build high-quality carbon dioxide removal into their climate plans to accelerate impact. To learn more visit:
Business Wire
24-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Carbon Direct Unveils First Empirical Baseline on Carbon Dioxide Removal and Environmental Justice in the US
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Carbon Direct, in collaboration with McKnight Foundation, today announced the release of its landmark report, Carbon Dioxide Removal and Environmental Justice in the United States: A landscape analysis of race, class, and environmental burden metrics. This is the first comprehensive study to empirically assess the intersection of carbon dioxide removal (CDR,) project siting, and environmental justice (EJ) in the U.S., providing essential data to inform future climate policy, investment, and project development. 'Infrastructure for a clean and healthy society has too often come at the expense of frontline communities,' said Dr. Grant Gutierrez, Head of Community Impacts at Carbon Direct, and lead author of the report. Share Key Findings: No Systematic Pattern of Environmental Injustice in CDR Siting: Carbon Direct's analysis of 342 CDR projects found no evidence that these projects are disproportionately located in low-income or BIPOC communities—a sharp contrast to legacy infrastructure such as hazardous waste facilities, which have historically burdened frontline communities. Place-Based Impacts Remain Critical: While no overarching pattern exists, individual CDR projects, including nature-based, hybrid, and engineered pathways, are sited near some communities with high environmental burdens. This underscores the need for nuanced, place-based engagement and robust safeguards to prevent harm and ensure benefits. A Narrow Window to Embed Equity: With the CDR sector still in its infancy, and because most removal credits have yet to be delivered, there is a unique opportunity to proactively shape siting, engagement, and benefit-sharing practices that prevent future injustice. A Baseline for Environmental Justice in CDR: This report establishes the first empirical baseline for understanding how CDR projects interact with frontline communities, providing foundational data to guide the sector's equitable growth. Philanthropy and Private Sector Leadership Needed: As federal priorities shift, philanthropy and private actors can fill critical gaps by investing in community capacity, supporting technical assistance, and setting equity expectations for CDR projects. A Critical Moment for Carbon Removal and Equity Meeting the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C target will not only require rapid emissions reductions, but also the large-scale removal of carbon dioxide, up to 10 billion tonnes annually by 2050. As CDR technologies move from theory to implementation, the question of whether these projects will scale equitably or repeat past patterns of environmental injustice is paramount. 'Infrastructure for a clean and healthy society has too often come at the expense of frontline communities,' said Dr. Grant Gutierrez, Head of Community Impacts at Carbon Direct, and lead author of the report. 'Our analysis shows that CDR projects do not yet follow these harmful patterns. The choices made today will shape the social fabric of carbon removal for generations.' Implications for Policy, Industry, and Communities For Policymakers and Advocates: The report offers data-driven insights to inform advocacy, policy development, and the design of evaluation frameworks that prioritize equity in CDR deployment. For Project Developers and Investors: Findings establish baseline expectations and highlight the importance of community engagement and equitable benefit-sharing as the sector scales. For Philanthropy and Private Sector: The research identifies under-resourced communities likely to be engaged in future CDR development, guiding targeted support for technical assistance and community-led planning. 'This report provides an incredibly important first step to ensure that emerging climate technologies like carbon dioxide removal are centering people, equity, justice, and community engagement,' said Sarah Christiansen, Director of Strategic Climate Initiatives at McKnight Foundation. 'As we build exciting new climate solutions and a clean economy, we have the power to build projects with communities, not at their expense—that's how we'll make this transition truly just.' A Foundation for Future Research and Action While the study finds no current disproportionate impact of CDR projects on frontline communities, it highlights the importance of ongoing research and vigilance as the industry evolves. The report calls for: Supporting community-led CDR initiatives that prioritize local leadership and tangible benefits. Building technical and advocacy capacity in frontline communities to ensure meaningful engagement and protections. Examining the full spectrum of CDR impacts, including economic, environmental, and social dimensions, to ensure net positive outcomes. To read the report Carbon Dioxide Removal and Environmental Justice in the United States visit: Read Carbon Direct's blog, Is carbon removal siting equitable? A landscape analysis: Report Methodology Carbon Direct analyzed 342 CDR projects registered in seven major voluntary carbon market (VCM) registries across the United States, combining these project data with EJScreen data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to explore the question: are CDR projects disproportionately located in frontline communities in the U.S.? By layering project locations with demographic and environmental burden data and examining the census tracts surrounding these CDR projects—specifically evaluating indicators such as race, income, and pollution burden—the study aimed to assess potential patterns of environmental injustice. About Carbon Direct Carbon Direct is the leader in science-based carbon management, helping emerging and established climate leaders like Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase, American Express, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, JetBlue, and The Russell Family Foundation drive scalable and just impact through deep decarbonization strategies and carbon dioxide removal. With Carbon Direct's scientific approach, organizations can confidently set targets and measure their emissions, implement reductions across their operations and supply chain, and build high-quality carbon dioxide removal into their climate plans to accelerate impact. To learn more visit: About McKnight Foundation The McKnight Foundation, a Minnesota-based family foundation, advances a more just, creative, and abundant future where people and planet thrive. Established in 1953, the McKnight Foundation is deeply committed to advancing climate solutions in the Midwest; building an equitable and inclusive Minnesota; and supporting the arts and culture in Minnesota, neuroscience, and global food systems. McKnight is also committed to creating a net zero endowment by 2050, and to date has over half of its endowment aligned with its mission, including a $500 million climate solutions portfolio. To learn more visit:
Business Wire
22-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Carbon Direct and Microsoft Release Criteria for High-Quality Environmental Attribute Certificates to Accelerate Decarbonization of the Built Environment
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Carbon Direct, in collaboration with Microsoft, today released a first-of-its-kind guide to high-quality environmental attribute certificates (EACs) in the concrete and steel sectors. These new quality criteria are designed to help Microsoft address greenhouse gas emissions from scope 3 activity with EACs that are verifiable, additional, and catalytic. The criteria are also relevant to other organizations who seek to mitigate supply chain emissions from the embodied carbon of commodity materials used in both equipment and building construction. The criteria build on insight from collaborations with industry experts, suppliers, and sustainability organizations and are grounded in Microsoft's commitment to become carbon negative by 2030. The guide explains the rationale behind EAC pathway decisions, encourages partnerships and collaborations in the supply chain, and guides procurement decisions. The criteria are designed to set a high bar for the integrity of EACs in today's rapidly evolving market. Since 2021, Carbon Direct and Microsoft have collaborated to advance science-based guidance for carbon dioxide removal. These new criteria reflect their joint success in stimulating the market for that decarbonization pathway, while aligning with the expertise and activities of companies and organizations who are working to build concrete and steel EAC markets. Addressing the Embodied Carbon Challenge in Data Centers Concrete and steel account for approximately 13% of global CO 2 emissions, making their decarbonization a critical climate priority. Microsoft is addressing these impacts by reducing demand for these materials through innovative design and procuring low-carbon alternatives, while also working to decarbonize its supply chains, efforts that can drive broader industry change. The market for low-carbon concrete and steel is immature, with challenges to direct procurement including limited financing for first-of-a-kind technologies with uncontracted output, limited supply, geographic mismatch, supply chain constraints, and limited willingness-to-pay a green premium. To drive both company-level and broader sectoral decarbonization, Microsoft is engaging directly with suppliers to procure low-carbon alternatives to conventional concrete and steel, as well as investing in and helping pilot new low-carbon production pathways. 'EACs have the potential to address a number of the most critical challenges to scaling deep decarbonization solutions, not least by providing financial certainty. By setting a high bar for EACs, we're ensuring that our investments drive real, additional, and scalable emissions reductions as we invite the industry to join us in shaping a credible, high-impact market for low-carbon building materials,' said Julia Fidler, Fuel and Materials Decarbonization Lead, Microsoft. 'To decarbonize the world's largest supply chains, we need solutions that are both ambitious and credible. These first-of-their-kind criteria set a quality bar for environmental attribute certificates so that every EAC transaction can drive real, additional, and verifiable emissions reductions in concrete and steel,' said Dr. Meera Atreya, Director of Decarbonization Science & European Advisory, Carbon Direct. 'By prioritizing high integrity, social and environmental safeguards, and a pathway to scale, we're not just supporting Microsoft and other companies to meet their climate goals, we're helping to catalyze a market transformation that benefits the entire sector and the planet.' Defining High-Quality EACs to Shape a Nascent Market To maximize the potential climate impact of its EAC procurement, Microsoft worked with Carbon Direct to establish the following rigorous, science-based criteria: Require that EACs only be used when material with significant sustainability benefits cannot be directly procured in sufficient quantity within a project's physical supply chain. Achieve a Low Carbon Concrete (or Cement) Rating of at least 'D' by the Global Cement and Concrete Association or a Progress Level 2 rating or higher by ResponsibleSteel. Demand robust additionality, particularly that projects must go beyond efficiency savings and subsidized upgrades, regulatory requirements, and common practice. Set high standards for social and environmental integrity, including community engagement and living wage requirements. Mandate independent verification, traceability, and safeguards against double counting of environmental benefits. Require assessment and mitigation of leakage risks to help prevent claimed reductions from shifting emissions elsewhere. The criteria provide detailed recommendations for EAC implementation in both concrete and steel. All EAC guardrails support the delivery of real, additional, and verifiable climate impact, setting a new standard for the emerging market. These criteria will be reviewed and updated regularly to reflect advances in technology, data, and market conditions. To dive deeper, read Carbon Direct's blog: Decarbonizing concrete & steel with environmental attribute certificates. About Carbon Direct Carbon Direct is the leader in science-based carbon management. We help emerging and established climate leaders like Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase, American Express, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, JetBlue, and The Russell Family Foundation drive scalable and just impact through deep decarbonization strategies and carbon dioxide removal. With Carbon Direct's scientific approach, organizations can confidently set targets and measure their emissions, implement reductions across their operations and supply chain, and build high-quality carbon dioxide removal into their climate plans to accelerate impact. To learn more visit:
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Carbon Direct and Microsoft Release Criteria for High-Quality Environmental Attribute Certificates to Accelerate Decarbonization of the Built Environment
Science-based criteria for high-quality environmental attribute certificates (EAC) procurement in low-carbon concrete and steel address supply chain emissions and catalyze market transformation. Key Takeaways Concrete and steel account for approximately 13% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, making their decarbonization a critical climate priority. Companies expanding their physical footprints must address rising supply chain emissions resulting from the embodied carbon of commodity materials like concrete and steel. The market for low-carbon concrete and steel is immature, with challenges to direct procurement. Environmental attribute certificates (EACs) offer an innovative, market-based solution by allowing companies to procure the environmental benefits of low-carbon materials independently of their physical supply chains, ideally through multi-year contracts. Defining criteria for high-quality EACs will help shape the future of the nascent EAC market and support credible, additional climate mitigation. NEW YORK, May 22, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Carbon Direct, in collaboration with Microsoft, today released a first-of-its-kind guide to high-quality environmental attribute certificates (EACs) in the concrete and steel sectors. These new quality criteria are designed to help Microsoft address greenhouse gas emissions from scope 3 activity with EACs that are verifiable, additional, and catalytic. The criteria are also relevant to other organizations who seek to mitigate supply chain emissions from the embodied carbon of commodity materials used in both equipment and building construction. The criteria build on insight from collaborations with industry experts, suppliers, and sustainability organizations and are grounded in Microsoft's commitment to become carbon negative by 2030. The guide explains the rationale behind EAC pathway decisions, encourages partnerships and collaborations in the supply chain, and guides procurement decisions. The criteria are designed to set a high bar for the integrity of EACs in today's rapidly evolving market. Since 2021, Carbon Direct and Microsoft have collaborated to advance science-based guidance for carbon dioxide removal. These new criteria reflect their joint success in stimulating the market for that decarbonization pathway, while aligning with the expertise and activities of companies and organizations who are working to build concrete and steel EAC markets. Addressing the Embodied Carbon Challenge in Data CentersConcrete and steel account for approximately 13% of global CO2 emissions, making their decarbonization a critical climate priority. Microsoft is addressing these impacts by reducing demand for these materials through innovative design and procuring low-carbon alternatives, while also working to decarbonize its supply chains, efforts that can drive broader industry change. The market for low-carbon concrete and steel is immature, with challenges to direct procurement including limited financing for first-of-a-kind technologies with uncontracted output, limited supply, geographic mismatch, supply chain constraints, and limited willingness-to-pay a green premium. To drive both company-level and broader sectoral decarbonization, Microsoft is engaging directly with suppliers to procure low-carbon alternatives to conventional concrete and steel, as well as investing in and helping pilot new low-carbon production pathways. "EACs have the potential to address a number of the most critical challenges to scaling deep decarbonization solutions, not least by providing financial certainty. By setting a high bar for EACs, we're ensuring that our investments drive real, additional, and scalable emissions reductions as we invite the industry to join us in shaping a credible, high-impact market for low-carbon building materials," said Julia Fidler, Fuel and Materials Decarbonization Lead, Microsoft. "To decarbonize the world's largest supply chains, we need solutions that are both ambitious and credible. These first-of-their-kind criteria set a quality bar for environmental attribute certificates so that every EAC transaction can drive real, additional, and verifiable emissions reductions in concrete and steel," said Dr. Meera Atreya, Director of Decarbonization Science & European Advisory, Carbon Direct. "By prioritizing high integrity, social and environmental safeguards, and a pathway to scale, we're not just supporting Microsoft and other companies to meet their climate goals, we're helping to catalyze a market transformation that benefits the entire sector and the planet." Defining High-Quality EACs to Shape a Nascent MarketTo maximize the potential climate impact of its EAC procurement, Microsoft worked with Carbon Direct to establish the following rigorous, science-based criteria: Require that EACs only be used when material with significant sustainability benefits cannot be directly procured in sufficient quantity within a project's physical supply chain. Achieve a Low Carbon Concrete (or Cement) Rating of at least "D" by the Global Cement and Concrete Association or a Progress Level 2 rating or higher by ResponsibleSteel. Demand robust additionality, particularly that projects must go beyond efficiency savings and subsidized upgrades, regulatory requirements, and common practice. Set high standards for social and environmental integrity, including community engagement and living wage requirements. Mandate independent verification, traceability, and safeguards against double counting of environmental benefits. Require assessment and mitigation of leakage risks to help prevent claimed reductions from shifting emissions elsewhere. The criteria provide detailed recommendations for EAC implementation in both concrete and steel. All EAC guardrails support the delivery of real, additional, and verifiable climate impact, setting a new standard for the emerging market. These criteria will be reviewed and updated regularly to reflect advances in technology, data, and market conditions. To read the Criteria for High-Quality Environmental Attribute Certificates in the Concrete and Steel Sectors, visit: To dive deeper, read Carbon Direct's blog: Decarbonizing concrete & steel with environmental attribute certificates. About Carbon DirectCarbon Direct is the leader in science-based carbon management. We help emerging and established climate leaders like Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase, American Express, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, JetBlue, and The Russell Family Foundation drive scalable and just impact through deep decarbonization strategies and carbon dioxide removal. With Carbon Direct's scientific approach, organizations can confidently set targets and measure their emissions, implement reductions across their operations and supply chain, and build high-quality carbon dioxide removal into their climate plans to accelerate impact. To learn more visit: View source version on Contacts The ColabPR for Carbon Directpress@ Sign in to access your portfolio
