2021 Environmental Sustainability Report
A look at progress and learnings against our commitments to become carbon negative, water positive, zero waste, and build a Planetary Computer.
Carbon
To meet our commitment to be carbon negative by 2030, we’re improving efficiencies; delivering technology to help our customers report and reduce their carbon emissions more effectively; and breaking new ground with carbon removal purchases and investments to help develop the carbon removal markets.
“Climate change presents environmental, social and economic crises on a whole new level. For nearly two millennia humans have been carbonizing our planet and we need to act together to decarbonize it.”
Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President
Water
To meet our commitment to be water positive by 2030, we will continue our water stewardship work across our operations. We're also expanding access to clean water and replenishment projects.
Waste
To meet our commitment to be zero waste by 2030, we’re taking an increasingly circular approach to materials management. Our approach includes design and material selection; responsibly sourcing materials for our operations, products, and packaging; and increasing the use of recycled content.
“We are more convinced than ever that the ambitions we set are the right ones for our company and the world. Our actions and roadmap will see us deliver on those commitments.”
Dr. Lucas Joppa, Chief Environmental Officer
Ecosystems
We’re working towards our commitment to protect more land than we use by 2025. We also introduced a Planetary Computer in 2021, a first step towards providing an efficient, scalable way to monitor, measure, and ultimately manage the impact of our actions or inactions on ecosystems—both globally and locally.
Campuses and datacenters
In each building at every campus and datacenter, sustainability is a key priority for Microsoft across all phases of a project—from site selection to design and construction to operations and decommissioning.
Devices
Sustainability in our devices means looking at the impact that we have on our planet as we design, manufacture, and ship our products—including devices, software, games, and operating systems. It also means considering product usage and end of life.
Accelerating progress
We’re building sustainability into everything we do, including our operations, products, and programs.
Empowering our customers
We’re developing and delivering sustainable solutions, tools, and resources to help our customers accelerate their sustainability progress.
Simplifying sustainability
We want to make it easier for people to understand our work and the challenges ahead using videos, data visualizations, and blog posts on carbon, water, waste, and ecosystems.
