Microsoft has denied reports that it is completely pausing its carbon removal purchases, following earlier reports of a freeze on new investments.

DCD reported earlier this week that the company had begun informing suppliers and partners that it is suspending all future purchases of credits, with it unclear whether the company will resume such purchases.

In an emailed response to a request for comment, Microsoft's chief sustainability officer, Melanie Nakagawa, said: “Our carbon removal program has not ended; we continue to both build on and support our existing portfolio of both nature-based and technology-based solutions.”

She contended that the perceived pause was in fact an adjustment to the “pace or volume of our carbon removal procurement as we continue to refine our approach toward sustainability goals.”

“Any adjustments we make are part of our disciplined approach- not a change in ambition," she added.

Microsoft had made carbon removal a central tenet of its sustainability strategy, backing companies with ranging approaches to removal, including biochar, enhanced rock weathering, carbon capture and storage, and reforestation, to name a few. In total, the company has purchased more than 45 million tons of carbon removal, with its next-closest challenger, Frontier, a carbon credit-buying consortium that includes the likes of Meta and Google, purchasing 1.8 million tons.

While the company denied that it had completely paused future purchases, it did not provide information on when purchases would resume or whether it would maintain its entire portfolio of carbon removal assets. DCD reached out for a direct interview with Microsoft, but was rebuffed.