By Tasmin Lockwood
Publication Date: 2026-03-16 06:08:00
The AI boom may be having a side effect: a surge in Big Tech buying carbon credits to offset emissions generated by its energy-hungry buildout.
Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft have ramped up purchases of permanent carbon credits since the launch of ChatGPT sparked the AI race in 2022, according to data compiled for CNBC by carbon credit management platform Ceezer.
The companies have all committed to reaching net-zero emissions, but the rapid development of energy and water-intensive AI has raised questions about whether that goal is achievable. The credits allow them to offset emissions by funding other projects that reduce emissions, such as technologies that remove carbon from the atmosphere.
Each carbon credit represents a metric ton of carbon dioxide reduced or removed from the atmosphere.
Amazon, Google’s parent company Alphabet, Microsoft, and Meta are eyeing a near-$700 billion combined bill to fuel their AI ambitions this year, which includes building massive data centers…
