Tech Giant NTT DATA Partners with Climeworks for Carbon Removal

A major tech company is putting its money where its carbon footprint is, and the move could reshape how the digital industry tackles climate change.

NTT DATA Group, a global leader in AI and data infrastructure, has partnered with Climeworks to deploy carbon dioxide removal solutions across its operations. The deal marks the first time Climeworks has signed a portfolio agreement with a major data center company.

The timing matters. As AI technology explodes and data centers multiply worldwide, energy consumption is skyrocketing. NTT DATA is facing this head-on by combining aggressive emissions cuts with carbon removal strategies for the pollution that's hardest to eliminate.

The company already powers more than half its operations with renewable electricity. Now it's adding carbon removal credits to address what remains after all those reduction efforts.

NTT DATA has set ambitious deadlines: net-zero emissions for data centers by 2030, offices by 2035, and across its entire value chain by 2040. The company's Chief Sustainability Officer David Costa emphasized that carbon removal will complement, not replace, continued investments in cutting emissions.

The Ripple Effect

This partnership signals a broader shift in how tech giants are thinking about climate responsibility. For years, companies focused solely on reducing emissions. Now leaders are recognizing that some emissions are nearly impossible to eliminate with current technology, especially in rapidly growing sectors like AI.

Climeworks co-CEO Christoph Gebald said the agreement reflects companies integrating carbon removal into long-term infrastructure planning from the start, rather than as an afterthought. That's a fundamental change in corporate climate strategy.

The deal also provides Climeworks with predictable demand for large-scale carbon removal over the next decade. That stability helps climate tech companies scale up their solutions and drive costs down, making carbon removal more accessible to other businesses.

NTT DATA President and CEO Yutaka Sasaki framed it simply: "Climate action requires practical execution and clear priorities." The company is showing that fighting climate change and growing a tech business aren't mutually exclusive goals.

The tech industry's growing appetite for real climate solutions is turning the tide on global warming, one partnership at a time.