Microsoft inks follow-up MoU with UNDO for carbon removal

Microsoft has signed a new carbon removal agreement with enhanced rock weathering (ERW) developer UNDO, following their initial partnership in 2023.

In the previous deal, UNDO committed to spreading 25,000 tonnes of basalt rock on farmland, aiming to sequester 5,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide over the next two decades. The follow-on agreement is to remove an additional 15,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere. This new deal will also provide financial backing for scientific research aimed at advancing ERW technology.

Enhanced rock weathering is a promising method for durable carbon removal, accelerating the natural process where rainwater CO2 reacts with silicate rocks, turning the carbon into a solid that can be stored for hundreds of thousands of years.

With Microsoft’s support, UNDO plans to establish practical trials and monitoring sites in Canada, including a research farm at the University of Guelph and a principal lab at Queen’s University in Kingston. The funding will allow UNDO to refine its methods for measuring, reporting, and verifying carbon removal using ERW.

Jim Mann, CEO and Founder of UNDO said, “This agreement with Microsoft is a clear signal to the market that enhanced rock weathering has the potential to deliver scalable carbon removal, and that UNDO can deliver critical scientific research to instill more confidence in this vital climate tech. We are eager to continue our work advancing the science of enhanced rock weathering by scaling up our research and data-gathering capabilities, which will be greatly facilitated by Microsoft’s continued backing.”

Brian Marrs, Senior Director of Energy Markets at Microsoft said, “Microsoft is committed to being carbon-negative by 2030. We are excited to support UNDO’s enhanced rock weathering carbon removal projects with co-benefits for soils, farmers, and rural communities. With this follow-on deal, we look forward to working with the UNDO team who will pioneer further deep science across different measurement techniques and at varying scales to deliver crucial ERW process data.”

Founded in Scotland, UNDO currently operates in Southeast Ontario and plans to expand further into Eastern Canada, including Ontario and Québec. To scale its operations, the company is forming strategic partnerships, aiming to spread millions of tonnes of silicate rock and eventually reach a billion-tonne scale in carbon removal.

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