Meta, formerly Facebook Inc., has announced plans to invest at least $35 million in carbon removal projects over the next year, aligning with its goal of achieving net zero emissions across its value chain by 2030. This commitment responds directly to the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Carbon Dioxide Removal Purchasing Challenge, which encourages companies to help scale carbon removal technologies to gigaton levels in the coming decades. Meta’s pledge mirrors DOE’s efforts to advance innovations that capture carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere.
The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) underscores the importance of both emissions reduction and carbon removal in reaching a net zero future. While cutting greenhouse gas emissions across its global operations remains Meta’s primary focus, the company also plans to invest in high-quality nature-based and technological carbon removal solutions for residual emissions that cannot be eliminated.
Meta hopes its pledge will inspire other companies to make similar commitments, fostering growth in the carbon removal market and driving down the cost of these critical technologies. Meta is eager to continue its efforts to scale climate solutions and collaborate with partners like the DOE to achieve a net zero future.