ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has purchased more than 100,000 tons of carbon credits from Rubicon Carbon, a carbon management and investment company.

The credits were purchased through the Rubicon Carbon Tonne (RCT), which comprises ‘high-quality’ credits across a range of removal projects. These include nature-based, super-pollutant removal, and carbon removal initiatives. The RCT is an actively managed portfolio that allows Rubicon to add and remove projects based on verification standards and risk profile. The credits are drawn from a global portfolio of projects.

“ByteDance’s decision to invest in RCTs signals a serious, long-term commitment to climate leadership and a recognition that the path to net zero must be built on high-quality, durable carbon solutions," said Tom Montag, CEO of Rubicon Carbon.

The purchase is part of ByteDance’s target to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. To reach its goal, the company plans to reduce at least 90 percent of its operational emissions, with the remaining 10 percent offset through carbon credits.

“As we advance toward our 2030 carbon neutrality goal, it’s critical that we build long-term relationships with trusted partners. This purchase marks an important step in that journey, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with Rubicon Carbon,” said Ian Gill, global head of sustainability at ByteDance.

The purchase is seemingly ByteDance’s first within the carbon removal space. The company has made some strides in integrating renewable energy production into its generation profile. In 2023, it announced it was leasing a 100 percent renewable energy-fueled data center campus in Norway from Green Mountain. It now occupies all three buildings at the site.

However, ByteDance has also been heavily criticized by environmentalists over a perceived lack of dedication and progress to sustainability practices. The company was ranked third from the bottom in Greenpeace East Asia’s 2022 climate ranking of all China’s cloud providers, with an overall score of 27, compared to Tencent’s 84.

ByteDance is the second major technology company to partner with Rubicon Carbon. In May, Microsoft announced the purchase of 18 million tons of carbon credits from a pipeline of individual Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR) projects worldwide.

Each removal deal will occur over 15-20 years and be tied to a range of projects within Rubicon's portfolio.