Latest news with #BrianMarrs
Business Wire
24-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Agoro Carbon Secures Flagship 12-Year Agreement to Deliver 2.6 Million Soil Carbon Removal Credits to Microsoft
TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Agoro Carbon signed a landmark 12-year offtake agreement to deliver 2.6 million carbon removal credits to Microsoft. This agreement represents one of the largest soil-based carbon removals commitments to date, marking a significant milestone in the advancement of agriculture-driven climate solutions. It unlocks significant investment to scale sustainable agriculture, reflecting corporate demand for durable, science-backed soil carbon removals. The credits will be generated from Agoro Carbon's U.S. crop and rangeland projects, developed under Verra's VM0042 Improved Agricultural Land Management methodology. These projects deploy regenerative agricultural practices such as cover cropping, improved grazing and reduced tillage to sequester carbon in the soil while enhancing agricultural resilience, biodiversity, food security and water retention. Farmers and ranchers who enroll in the Agoro Carbon program can experience improved crop and forage yields, increased input efficiency, and enhanced resistance to extreme weather, while generating a new income stream. Agoro Carbon's rigorous, quality-focused approach continues to resonate with corporations seeking credible, high-integrity solutions to meet their climate commitments. Catalyzing Significant Climate Impact at the Highest Quality As both a strategic step towards a net-zero future and a milestone for agriculture-based climate solutions, this agreement delivers: Scale: Spanning 12 years and covering 2.6 million metric tons of carbon removals, the agreement sets a new benchmark for soil carbon transactions. Farmer-Centric Program: Credits are generated through regenerative practices adopted by farmers and ranchers nationwide. Agoro Carbon provides agronomic and financial support for producers to implement these practices. Quality-Driven Design: Agoro Carbon's program aligns with Microsoft criteria for high-quality removals, using a data-driven approach combining advanced modeling, field-level soil sampling and stringent third-party verification to ensure durability and transparency. ' This agreement with Microsoft is the strongest endorsement of our quality-driven, farmer-focused approach to soil carbon sequestration, ' stated Elliot Formal, CEO of Agoro Carbon. ' We're working with farmers and ranchers—offering hands-on support from our agronomists to ensure they achieve meaningful, long-term outcomes. From initial implementation to sustained success, we're committed to helping producers build resilient operations for the future. ' ' Agoro Carbon's approach to soil-based carbon removals reflects the kind of scientific rigor and long-term solution we look for in our carbon removal portfolio,' said Brian Marrs, Senior Director of Energy Markets at Microsoft. 'This agreement supports our broader sustainability goals at Microsoft, including support of scalable, agriculture-based climate solutions that deliver measurable impact over time.' Agoro Carbon is committed to advancing regenerative practices that benefit the planet, while providing real incentives and long-term partnerships to producers, partners and businesses. About Agoro Carbon Alliance Agoro Carbon partners with farmers and ranchers to sequester carbon in the soil and generate verified soil carbon credits. Agoro Carbon, founded by Yara International, drives global adoption of regenerative agriculture practices through high-quality, science-based carbon solutions and provides businesses an opportunity to invest in climate-positive agriculture. Learn more at
Bloomberg
18-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Microsoft Inks Record Carbon Removal Deals as Emissions Rise
Five years ago, Microsoft Corp. set a goal of becoming carbon negative by 2030 and removing all its historic emissions from the atmosphere by 2050. But the company's artificial intelligence investments have made meeting those targets harder —by a lot. Today, Microsoft's total planet-warming impact is 23% higher than it was in 2020 in part because of its vast expansion of emissions-intensive data centers, according to its 2025 sustainability report. Despite its actions, Microsoft says slashing carbon remains a priority. Bloomberg Businessweek spoke with Brian Marrs, the company's senior director of energy and carbon removal, about how the tech giant plans to meet its climate commitments. Like many things involving AI or climate goals, the answer isn't entirely clear. 'It is important to recognize we're at the very beginning of generative AI and what it will look like,' Marrs says. 'Servers and data centers will evolve and do more with less.' The following conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Business Wire
15-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Rubicon Carbon Enters into Agreement with Microsoft for Nature-based Carbon Removal Credits
MARINA DEL REY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rubicon Carbon, a leading carbon credit management firm, today entered into a framework agreement with Microsoft to facilitate the purchase of 18 million tonnes of high-quality carbon removal credits – one of the largest single-buyer commitments of its kind in the world. Each carbon removal transaction under this deal will be structured as 15- to 20-year offtakes, supporting a pipeline of individual Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR) projects worldwide. A defining feature of this framework agreement is the scale of Microsoft's work in this space. By anchoring long-term offtake agreements, this deal demonstrates the growing role of corporate buyers in unlocking private investment for high-integrity carbon projects that might otherwise lack funding. 'Addressing climate change requires more than good intentions—it requires capital deployment at scale,' said Tom Montag, CEO of Rubicon Carbon. 'This collaboration serves as a blueprint for how the financial sector can meet the urgency of the moment while also generating strong financial returns. We aim to crowd in more capital by leveraging market-based mechanisms to scale societal impact at a planetary scale.' 'This agreement demonstrates how science, finance, and business model innovation can work in concert to scale affordable and high-quality climate solutions,' said Brian Marrs, Senior Director, Energy & Carbon Removal at Microsoft. 'We believe that project finance needs to be central to the voluntary carbon market, and this deal signals the long-term demand for carbon removal necessary to mobilize infrastructure-grade investment and world-class execution.' Through this collaboration, Rubicon Carbon has developed an evaluation framework with Microsoft that reflects Microsoft's science and quality criteria while building upon Rubicon Carbon's rigorous standards for carbon removal credit integrity. Rubicon Carbon will source, assess, and conduct advanced due diligence on ARR projects worldwide, prioritizing those with strong potential for scale but limited access to capital. Rubicon Carbon's in-house science team will provide continuous quality assurance and monitoring, leveraging the latest remote-sensing technologies. 'We launched Rubicon Carbon three years ago to catalyze high-quality carbon projects at scale. This agreement with Microsoft represents an important milestone on our journey to deliver innovative, market-based solutions,' said Jim Coulter, Founding Partner of TPG and a Managing Partner of TPG Rise Climate. For more information on Rubicon Carbon, visit the website, follow on LinkedIn, or contact Rubicon Carbon's Supply sourcing team. About Rubicon Carbon: Rubicon Carbon is a carbon credit management firm that empowers the world's largest enterprises to achieve their sustainability goals by addressing carbon emissions and driving global climate finance. Backed by TPG Rise Climate and led by top executives from across finance, technology, and climate science, Rubicon Carbon delivers innovative carbon credit solutions to global businesses while unlocking carbon avoidance and removal projects at scale, all backed by rigorous in-house scientific diligence. For more information, visit
Business Wire
07-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
EFM Signs Deal With Microsoft for Purchase of Nature-Based Carbon Removals and Fund Investment
PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EFM, a forest investment and management firm has finalized a multi-year offtake agreement with Microsoft alongside a fund investment that together secure Microsoft's access to up to 3 million nature-based carbon removal credits from EFM's investment platform. The deal includes an offtake agreement for the delivery of up to 700,000 credits through 2035, from a recently acquired property in Washington State's Olympic Peninsula that EFM is transitioning to climate-smart forest management. Additionally, Microsoft's Climate Innovation Fund (CIF) invested in EFM Fund IV, which aims to mobilize $300 million for climate-smart forestry across the U.S. This is CIF's first forestry investment in the United States and helps Microsoft secure future streams of up to 2.3 million additional high-quality credits with significant ecosystem and community benefits. 'Microsoft's support marks a pivotal step in accelerating support for high-quality improved forest management projects,' said Bettina von Hagen, CEO of EFM. 'Their leadership sets a strong precedent for the carbon market and reinforces the importance of natural forests as a scalable natural climate solution in the U.S. With their support, we see Fund IV growing and producing significant climate benefits alongside financial value for its investors.' 'Microsoft recognizes the important role of high-quality, nature-based solutions in meeting our Carbon Negative by 2030 goals. Our collaboration with EFM is a significant step towards unlocking the value of the latest scientific advancements in improved forest management as a carbon removal pathway. We are proud to contribute to climate-smart forest management in Microsoft's own backyard on the Olympic Peninsula,' said Brian Marrs, Senior Director of Energy & Carbon Removal at Microsoft. Scaling Impact Through EFM Fund IV EFM Fund IV's first investment, 68,000 acres in Washington State's Olympic Peninsula, exemplifies the company's FSC-certified, climate-smart strategy. The property had been industrially managed for close to a century by the prior owner. EFM's approach diversifies the revenue streams from forests to include carbon credits and conservation easements alongside revenue from conventional forest products. EFM Fund IV will initially focus on securing forest properties in the Western U.S., while also exploring other domestic markets where climate-smart management can create a competitive advantage for investors, alongside benefits for local communities. By enhancing the ability of the country's working forests to function as robust carbon sinks, the fund will support the long-term forest health and economic sustainability of these natural assets and the communities that rely on them. Raising the Bar for Improved Forest Management (IFM) Microsoft's long-term offtake agreement and investment in Fund IV will help raise the bar for Improved Forest Management (IFM) carbon projects, signaling their potential as scalable and effective climate solutions. IFM is a carbon market methodology that encompasses a suite of sustainable forestry practices aimed at increasing or maintaining forest carbon stocks and improving forest health. These practices include extending the rotation age of trees, reducing the impact of logging operations, and promoting selective harvesting. Microsoft will provide more information on its MSCDR website about its approach to IFM. By implementing these strategies, IFM projects can not only increase the carbon storage of commercial forests, but also improve biodiversity, enhance water and soil quality, and provide socio-economic benefits to local communities. Recent innovations, such as the adoption of dynamic baselines, have strengthened the integrity of IFM projects. EFM is committed to employing the best-in-class methodologies, ensuring that project baselines accurately reflect current policy and market conditions. With Microsoft's support, EFM is also adopting additional measures to further strengthen the integrity of its IFM credits. It does this by implementing a conservative approach that deliberately limits the amount of harvesting that is predicted in the baseline, or business-as-usual, scenario. About EFM EFM is an investment and management firm that acquires forests and implements climate-smart strategies in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. EFM creates value by combining timber production with revenues from carbon sequestration, conservation, recreation and biodiversity. EFM's investment management business focuses on FSC-certified forests in the US, and its advisory business focuses on cutting-edge natural climate solutions opportunities globally. The firm has two decades of experience and manages more than 200,000 forestland acres and is expanding to markets where increased funding for climate benefits and ecosystem services can create a competitive advantage and deliver value to investors, local communities and the public.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Carba Announces 5-Year Carbon Removal Credit Purchase Agreement with Microsoft
Oakton, Virginia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 7, 2025) - Carba, a Minneapolis, Minnesota carbon removal company, announced an agreement today to deliver 44,000 carbon removal credits to Microsoft over a 5 year period. Carba's novel pyrolysis technology and burial method removes carbon dioxide, storing biochar underground in low-oxygen environments based on a patented, highly efficient pyrolysis reactor. Carba Announces 5-Year Carbon Removal Credit Purchase Agreement with Microsoft To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: Carba's autothermal technology offers greater energy efficiency, stabilizing carbon from biogenic waste and turning it into economically valuable biochar with high carbon content. The biochar will be used as an alternate daily cover and buried in a local landfill, protecting it from degradation and possibly providing environmental co-benefits. The biochar's properties have the potential to act like an activated carbon filter in the landfill, which could reduce odors, remediate pollutants (e.g., PANs, PCBs, dioxins and furans), and increase gas pollutant absorption. The environmental co-benefits will be further evaluated during project operations. "We're thrilled to contribute to Microsoft's portfolio by providing high-quality carbon removal credits that will be retired starting this year," said Andrew Jones, CEO, Carba. "Our fully integrated approach-combining biomass sourcing, processing, and secure storage-enables us to scale quickly while having the potential to deliver significant community co-benefits." "By co-locating biomass supply chain delivery, pyrolysis, and end-use & storage, Carba's biochar burial offers the potential to become a scalable and cost-effective climate solution," said Brian Marrs, Senior Director for Energy & Carbon Removal at Microsoft. "This agreement with Carba allows us to better explore the future of this biochar end-use and the possible co-benefits, while benefiting from the near-term delivery of these credits with a straightforward-monitoring and verification process. Last year, this project was selected to receive a $7 million grant from the Department of Energy for a Carbon Negative Shot Pilot (FOA 382). The project's methodology has been certified by Isometric with 1,000-year durability credits. "Isometric's rigorous scientific validation ensures that each credit represents a permanently removed ton of carbon dioxide," said Stacy Kauk, Chief Science Officer at Isometric.
