Climeworks has partnered NTT DATA Group to support the IT giant’s long-term net-zero ambitions. The agreement marks Climeworks’ first portfolio partnership with a major AI infrastructure company, highlighting the increasing necessity of carbon removal in the rapidly expanding digital economy.
Under the agreement, Climeworks will provide NTT DATA with a diversified portfolio of engineered and nature-based carbon removal solutions. These credits are intended to address “residual emissions”—those that remain after all possible reduction efforts have been exhausted—ensuring the company remains on its science-based pathway to net zero.
The move comes as the growth of artificial intelligence and data centre expansion places unprecedented pressure on corporate carbon footprints. “Climeworks is demonstrating that carbon removal is becoming a critical part of the AI economy,” said Christoph Gebald, co-CEO and co-founder of Climeworks.
The partnership is a core component of NTT DATA’s “Net Zero 2040 Vision.” While the company is prioritising energy efficiency and renewable electricity, it recognises that certain emissions in its global value chain remain challenging to eliminate entirely.
NTT DATA reported significant progress in its most recent disclosures, with 56% of its operational electricity sourced from renewables in fiscal year 2024. The company remains on track to achieve net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions across its data centre operations by 2030, with a goal of total net zero across all scopes by 2040.
“NTT DATA is continuously reducing our carbon emissions,” said Yutaka Sasaki, President and CEO of NTT DATA Group Corporation. “Our agreement with Climeworks complements these efforts by applying high-quality CDR credits toward our own residual emissions.”
All carbon removal pathways in the portfolio are vetted through Climeworks’ rigorous scientific due diligence process to ensure permanence and transparency. This disciplined approach is designed to provide the measurable data now demanded by investors and regulators.
David Costa, Chief Sustainability Officer at NTT DATA, emphasised the importance of operationalising climate strategy: “Our role is to help [clients] move from ambition to action. That same discipline guides our own approach: reduce first, be transparent about progress and limitations, and use carbon removal where it is appropriately justified.”
By securing access to hundreds of kilotons of carbon removal over the next decade, NTT DATA aims to help scale durable removal technologies globally while maintaining the integrity of its own environmental commitments.
