Inside Microsoft’s $1B Strategy to Achieve Net-Zero Emissions

Brandon Middaugh is the senior director of Microsoft’s $1 billion Climate Innovation Fund, created in 2020 to accelerate technologies that help Microsoft and the wider economy meet aggressive 2030 sustainability goals: carbon‑negative, water‑positive, zero‑waste and ecosystem‑protective. 

Five years in, Brandon shares how the fund’s “invest‑to‑procure” model aligns capital with Microsoft’s own demand for clean power, fuels, carbon removal, low‑carbon materials and water solutions; what’s working (a 5‑fold jump in durable CDR contracted since launch) and where supply still lags; and why scaling markets—not just piloting tech—is central to Microsoft’s moon‑shot roadmap toward net‑zero and beyond. ​ 

In this episode, we cover: 

• [01:43] Microsoft's ambitious 2030 sustainability targets
• [02:59] Brandon’s path toward climate finance
• [10:59] The fund’s “north star” 
• [12:18] How carbon removal demand still dwarfs current supply
• [17:14] Airline partnerships supporting Microsoft's net-zero goals
• [19:46] Investment and procurement teams’ flywheel collaboration
• [23:22] Water-related investments and initiatives
• [29:36] Program mandates: innovate, accelerate, and scale
• [31:57] Brandon's advice on transparent engagement with Microsoft
• [36:43] Predicting highly distributed future energy systems
• [40:16] How transformation only seems inevitable in hindsight

Episode recorded on April 10, 2025 (Published on May 12, 2025)

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant