Highlights

• UNDO and Microsoft extend their partnership to remove 15,000 tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere.
• The deal will fund research into enhanced rock weathering (ERW).
• UNDO is also expanding in Canada to help farmers and rural communities benefit from environmental and agricultural gains.

UNDO, a world-leading carbon dioxide removal project developer, has extended its agreement with Microsoft to remove 15,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The new deal also funds ERW research and helps Microsoft become carbon-negative by 2030.

Expanding the UNDO-Microsoft Partnership

UNDO and Microsoft first partnered in 2023 with a 5,000-tonne CO₂ removal contract. They achieved this by spreading 25,000 tonnes of basalt across the UK, Microsoft’s first foray into the enhanced rock weathering space. The latest announcement is a bigger deal with plans to spread 65,000 tonnes of crushed silicate rock in the UK (40,000 tonnes of basalt) and Canada (25,000 tonnes of wollastonite).

Microsoft, aiming to get to carbon negative by 2030, is committed to supporting UNDO’s work. This deal will fund more research into ERW processes and benefit soils, farmers and rural communities along the way.

What is Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW)?

Enhanced rock weathering is a process that speeds up the natural carbon capture ability of certain rocks. Over millions of years, carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere mixes with rainwater to form a weak acid that reacts with rocks and traps carbon as solid minerals for thousands of years.

ERW accelerates this process by crushing silicate rocks (basalt or wollastonite) into fine powder and spreading it on agricultural land. When rainwater hits the rock powder CO₂ is locked away as bicarbonate and stored for thousands of years. The increased surface area of the powdered rock speeds up the process and compresses it into a human timescale.

Soil Benefits of Spreading Rock

Spreading crushed volcanic rock on farmland removes CO₂ and adds essential nutrients like magnesium, calcium and phosphorus to the soil. These nutrients help healthier crops, stabilise soil pH and reduce the need for chemical fertilisers. This benefits rural farmers with free soil amendments, jobs and local food systems.

Expanding Carbon Removal Research

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says we need to remove 10 billion tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere by 2050 to limit climate change impacts. ERW can meet 40% of that target, 4 billion tonnes of CO₂ per year.

With this deal, Microsoft will support UNDO’s research into ERW, including measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of carbon removal. UNDO will set up field trials in Ontario and the UK, working with top universities like the University of Guelph and Newcastle University to better understand and optimise the ERW process.

A Path to Global Scale for ERW

Large-scale ERW projects need to prove themselves as a measurable and permanent carbon removal solution. Deals like this are key to advancing the science and scaling ERW technology. UNDO has partnered with Canadian Wollastonite, the fastest weathering feedstock, to get data faster.

Jim Mann, CEO and Founder of UNDO, said this deal shows growing confidence in ERW as a scalable carbon removal solution. With Microsoft’s support, UNDO will continue to research and gather data to improve the ERW process.

Canada as UNDO’s Next Carbon Removal Hub

Canada is becoming a carbon removal hub with over 70 companies involved in CO₂ removal. The country’s commitment to net zero by 2050 has attracted big political and financial backing.

UNDO will build out its North American operations, particularly in rural areas, by offering crushed rock to farmers for free. With operations already in Southeast Ontario, UNDO will expand into Québec through new partnerships and move towards large-scale ERW deployment.

By supporting farmers and rural economies, UNDO’s carbon removal solutions deliver environmental and agricultural benefits and a positive impact on local communities and the climate.

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Source: UNDO