Operating to drive global change

We’re actively reducing our footprint by shifting to renewable energy, restoring land we use, adding Microsoft Circular Centers at new and select major datacenters, and building the first tech campus with Net Zero Water certification. You can learn more about the Net Positive Water Imperative at the International Living Future Institute website.

Learn about our plans

Carbon principles

To become carbon negative by 2030, we will take a principled approach based on seven elements:

Grounding in science and math

We will continually ground our work in the best available science and most accurate math.

Responsibility for our own carbon footprint

By 2030, we will reduce our own carbon emissions by more than half and remove more carbon than we emit each year.

Investing for new carbon reduction and removal technology

We will deploy at least $1 billion of our own capital to accelerate the development of carbon reduction and removal technologies that will help us and the world become carbon negative.

Empowering customers around the world

We will develop and deploy technology to help our suppliers and customers around the world reduce their carbon footprints as well.

Ensuring effective transparency

We will publish an annual sustainability report that provides transparency on our progress.

Using our voice on carbon-related public policy issues

We will support new public policy initiatives to accelerate carbon reduction and removal opportunities.

Enlisting our employees

We recognize that our employees will be our biggest asset in advancing innovation, and we will create new opportunities to enable them to contribute to our efforts.

  

Putting a price on carbon

We reinvest funds collected by our internal carbon fee in a number of sustainability initiatives including:

Clean power

Energy consumption drives our operational carbon footprint. We’ve addressed these emissions through purchasing clean power equal to our global electricity consumption, and we are moving to 100% direct power purchases by 2025.

Carbon offset projects

We will invest in carbon removal offsets to address residual emissions across our scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.

Energy efficiency projects

Our internal efficiency grants support innovative projects that avoid carbon emissions through energy and technology innovation.

Track and report

We believe in transparency, and that means tracking and reporting emissions and energy across 1,200 facilities in 110 countries.

Global impact

Empowering people and organizations

Transitioning to zero-carbon energy

Microsoft believes buying clean energy helps us operate sustainably. By 2025, we will shift to 100 percent use of renewable energy.

Transforming the future of water

Water is a necessity for every person and organization on this planet, but for many people in many places, it’s getting harder to get clean, fresh water. That is why we are taking actions, within our operations and with our partners to use less water.

 

Microsoft is utilizing the power of the cloud, IoT, and machine learning to drive these changes. We are also employing data analytics to better track and find innovative solutions to dramatically reduce the amount of water used at datacenters. Our technology is enabling organizations big and small to make smarter decisions about water, from global water management companies like Ecolab to cities like Chicago.

Our approach to water stewardship

Global goals

Our work is focused on creating tools and services to help address the world's water challenges, including scarcity, pollution, and ocean health.

Localized solutions

In Seattle, we partnered with oceanographers at the University of Washington and a local shellfish company to create a cloud-based solution that gives shellfish farmers insight on when to plant oysters.

Continued innovation

The Water Risk Monetizer tool, built on our Azure cloud, is helping companies assess water risk to make better decisions on current and future water needs.

Corporate responsibility

We're using data to help us use less water at our datacenter and develop new air-cooling techniques that use 90 percent less water than conventional chiller solutions.