Microsoft is building its first of two planned data centers made with cross-laminated timber in a bid to "slash the use of steel and concrete, which are among the most significant sources of carbon emissions," the company said.

According to Microsoft's website, the hybrid mass timber, steel and concrete construction model is estimated to significantly reduce the embodied carbon footprint of two new data centers by 35 percent compared to conventional steel construction, and 65 percent compared to typical precast concrete.

Microsoft said its hybrid data centers are the latest examples of how it is working to decarbonize its data center and construction operations. In 2020, Microsoft unveiled ambitious sustainability goals: By 2030, it would be “carbon negative” – meaning it would take more carbon out of the atmosphere than it emits. And by 2050 it would remove from the atmosphere the equivalent of all the carbon the company has emitted since its founding in 1975. Four years later, there has been meaningful progress. In May, Microsoft announced it had achieved a 6.3 percent reduction in direct emissions over three years.

But, indirect emissions increased 30.9 percent, driven by the growth of data centers and the hardware housed inside. Indirect emissions are particularly difficult to manage since they include carbon emitted during extraction, processing, manufacturing and even transportation of materials, and so are outside Microsoft’s direct control.