Microsoft Signs Carbon Removal Deal with Nature-Based Startup Grassroots Carbon
This agreement marks Microsoft’s first purchase of atmospheric carbon removal credits in grasslands, supporting regenerative ranching practices
Grassroots Carbon, a leader in providing high-quality carbon removal credits, announced an agreement to provide Microsoft with soil carbon drawdown credits.
The credits, which represent additional carbon sequestered over a 30-year period, mark Microsoft’s first investment in carbon credits generated from regeneratively managed grasslands.
“Grassroots Carbon is thrilled Microsoft is including soil credits in their carbon removal strategy. Soil carbon storage is an essential part of the climate solution and our regenerative ranchers are trusted partners in that solution,” said Brad Tipper, CEO of Grassroots Carbon. “Microsoft not only made a choice to reduce atmospheric carbon levels, but to do so with impacts far beyond just carbon.“
The benefits of improving soil health extend to enhanced water storage, erosion prevention, and improved grasslands ecology. The investment in carbon credits also directly supports ranchers implementing regenerative land management practices, who receive most of the profit of these credits.
Currently, 41% of U.S. grassland is used for livestock grazing, with the capacity to sequester over 500 million tons of carbon dioxide a year. However, 95% of that grassland is managed conventionally, depleting soil carbon. Grassroots Carbon aims to help in the conversion to regenerative practices by creating opportunities for land managers to earn income from carbon storage, based on rigorous 1-meter deep measurement, third-party verification and certification of carbon removal and storage.
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“Supporting high-quality soil carbon credit solutions is part of Microsoft’s carbon removal strategy,” said Phil Goodman, director, carbon removal portfolio, Microsoft. “This project with Grassroots Carbon utilizes PastureMap, a measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) software that improves grassland management in the US by incentivizing ranchers’ transition to rotational grazing. Microsoft is excited to work with Grassroots Carbon to advance the soil carbon market through MRV innovations and the production of large data sets of soil carbon and ecological data.“
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