Microsoft Environmental Sustainability Report 2020
2020 Environmental Sustainability Report A Year of Action
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 2 Contents Overview Carbon negative Water positive Zero waste Ecosystems Appendix Foreword 4 Our approach 14 Our approach 32 Our approach 45 Our approach 58 A – Commitments 70 How we work 5 Getting to carbon negative 17 Getting to water positive 35 Getting to zero waste 48 Taking responsibility for our 60 A – Partnerships 71 Our seven principles 5 Reducing Scope 1 and 2 17 Reducing our water 35 Driving innovation: Digital 51 land footprint A – How we report 72 Defining focus areas 6 emissions footprint tools for circularity Driving innovation: Building 61 B – Our environmental data 73 Reducing Scope 3 19 Replenishing water 37 Enabling systems change 53 the Planetary Computer Putting sustainability into 7 emissions Enabling systems change 63 C – Materiality 82 practice Improving access to water 37 Key learnings 55 D – Governance 85 2021 Outlook 8 Removing carbon 21 Driving innovation: 38 What’s next? 56 Key learnings 67 Driving innovation: Digital 22 Digitizing water What’s next? 68 E – Policy 91 2020 Progress 11 tools for carbon reduction F – Assurance 95 About this report 12 Enabling systems change 40 Enabling systems change 24 Key learnings 42 Key learnings 29 What’s next? 43 What’s next? 30 Links throughout the document For the best experience, we recommend to further information Carbon negative Water positive Zero waste Ecosystems using the free software Adobe Reader, Link to web pages or iBooks if viewing on an Apple mobile device. Interactive functionality may be Link to downloads 1M 20 60K 10 limited when viewed in a web browser. This report is part of the Microsoft CSR Find out more elsewhere metric tons of carbon water replenishment metric tons of waste diverted petabytes of environmental and sustainability reporting suite. Access in this document removal procured projects funded to date from landfills data now available all our reports at: Find out more here
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 3 Xxxxxx Contents Overview Foreword 4 How we work 5 Our seven principles 5 Defining focus areas 6 Putting sustainability 7 into practice 2021 Outlook 8 2020 Progress 11 About this report 12
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 4 Foreword Over the past year, we built on this pledge by “ We believe that by Microsoft can’t solve the world’s environmental Letter from announcing a series of commitments to be water challenges alone, but we can play a significant role in positive by 2030, zero waste by 2030, and to protect focusing on all the ways driving a broader societal transformation if we use our ecosystems by developing a Planetary Computer. we can drive change, we positions of influence and our technologies to effectively Brad Smith When we set out on our carbon negative journey a can make an outsized bring others along with us on our sustainability journey. year ago, we knew the climate crisis was urgent and 3. What should we do? required immediate attention. No one had yet realized impact on climate change. This is what we focused most on in 2020. It required In January 2020 we announced that the world would be facing a global pandemic and building a new sustainability vision and strategy for a bold commitment and detailed long-term shutdown just a few months later. Over the We, and other organizations Microsoft through a series of industry-leading past year, we’ve addressed both. COVID-19 is the crisis who are serious about commitments to be a carbon negative, water positive, plan to be carbon negative of the year, addressing climate change is the crisis of zero waste company by 2030, and to develop a new by 2030 and to remove from the decade. an environmentally Planetary Computer to better monitor, model, the environment all the carbon We grounded our sustainability strategy and sustainable future, and manage the world’s ecosystems. We’re making a the company emitted since its commitments in the belief that technology can help bold bet to address climate change and the world solve the world’s biggest challenges. We began by need to pull all levers will need to too. To help do that, we want to founding by 2050. asking three simple questions: of influence we have.” become the world’s leading technology provider 1. Are we doing enough? of sustainable solutions. The answer was simple: No. Microsoft has focused Brad Smith, President 2020 Report on sustainability for more than a decade, and we are In Microsoft’s first annual sustainability report, proud of our achievements. But those of us who can we look back at how and why we made our afford to move faster and go further should do so. commitments, details about them, Using technology, we can do just that, including progress to date, and key lessons we minimizing the environmental impact of our own have learned. We intend to not only operations and ensuring the resilience of our share our successes, but also share infrastructure to climate change. Importantly, we can our challenges. That is why, in each extend beyond our walls to help build the broader section, we’ve also included solutions the world requires. additional information and resources 2. Can we make a difference? to help others accelerate their progress towards a prosperous, just, We believe that by focusing on all the ways we can drive and environmentally stable future. change, we can make an outsized impact on climate 2050 change. We, and other organizations that are serious Microsoft will remove from about an environmentally sustainable future, need to the environment all the pull all levers of influence we have—our operations and carbon the company has Brad Smith, President as a customer, supplier, investor, employer, policy emitted since its founding advocate, and partner in innovation to customers, by 2050. organizations, and institutions around the world.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 5 How we work Taking a Our seven principles principled approach Whenever Microsoft takes on a new and complex societal issue, we strive first to learn and then to define a 3 principled approach to guide our 1 5 7 efforts. In 2020, we did the same Grounding in science Investing in Ensuring effective Enlisting our with environmental sustainability. and math. new solutions transparency. employees. and technology. 2 4 6 Empowering Using our voice on Taking responsibility customers and climate-related public for our footprint. partners around policy issues. the world.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 6 How we work (continued) Defining focus areas m t s e e n v t n s i , , p n o o l i i t c a y v , o c We focus on four areas—carbon, water, waste, n o l n l i e c : t d i l v r e and ecosystems—where we can scale by minimizing o a W c t e i h o the negative impacts of our operations and T : n s r t e e c n h t n r o a l p o g maximizing the positive impacts of our technology. d y n , a e s n r a e b l m e While we start with our operations, our strategy o n m u i t t m i e m s s , o e s c u u , p n s p C n l t expands beyond our four walls by ensuring those o y i t c a h r a e i changes also benefit the communities in which p n o , : e t m f s we operate and flow into our product strategy. o m C p s e a t r l o s b o r y o y Through technology adoption by customers c s n e i o e c s M E and partners, we can drive positive impact across the globe, accelerated by our 4 investments, engagement in policy, and commitment to innovation. programs Wa r s e t t e a W
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 7 How we work (continued) Driving global impact AI for Earth Putting sustainability into practice We also have programs that extend across all five We believe that there is a massive opportunity for the We support each of our four focus areas with five strategic pillars. They are: pillars to drive global impact, including investment technology sector to improve the way we manage the and climate science. Earth’s natural resources. In 2017, we launched Climate Innovation Fund (CIF) Microsoft’s AI for Earth program to put cloud and AI Operations CIF will invest $1 billion over four years to help scale up technology into the hands of the world’s leading ecologists and conservation technologists, and We will take responsibility for our carbon, existing climate technologies and invest in new organizations around the world that are working to water, waste, and land footprints across s technologies that currently don’t exist or are too niche m C protect our planet. The program increases access to the way our products and facilities are e a for broad adoption. This work also supports Microsoft t r s b AI technologies through grants, provides education o y P sourced, manufactured, operated, and r sustainability commitments in carbon, water, waste, and o s n d u on cloud and AI to increase collaboration through o s c managed at end-of-life, including our c n t ecosystems. As we consider investments, we prioritize o s E i our community, and fuels innovation through research t supply chain. a a those that: r n and strategic partnerships. So far, we’ve empowered e d p s • Provide measurable climate impact in our four areas over 700 organizations in more than 100 countries Products and services O e We will develop new technology and rv of focus. around the world working on game-changing i c environmental innovations. services driven by data, AI, and digital e • Bring additional capital to underfunded markets technology to power environmental s where the capital need for climate solutions is not Find out sustainability. Employees being met. more here Customers and partners rs • Ensure developing economies and underserved Sustainability science ne communities benefit from climate solutions. We will help our customers and partners rt Our sustainability work is guided by science. We believe around the world reduce their carbon, P pa • Align to Microsoft’s core business and that that overcoming society’s biggest sustainability water, waste, and land footprints through o of our customers. challenges will require working at the intersection of l d i cy n our learnings, technology, and services. a technology and the natural and social sciences. We have s W r e Find out a growing team of sustainability scientists working with m r a o t s u s C e more here Policy t t researchers, businesses, governments, and non-profit e a W We will use our voice on climate-related organizations around the world to help Microsoft, its public policy issues. We will support new customers and partners, and the world to build a more public policy initiatives to accelerate environmentally sustainable future. This involves creating carbon, water, waste, and ecosystems new knowledge and tools that enable improved opportunities. management of environmental resources and mitigation Employees of risks from local to global scales. We recognize that our employees are the most important asset and resource in advancing innovation and will create new opportunities for them to contribute to our efforts.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 8 2021 Outlook For Microsoft to do well, we need the world to do well. “ Addressing six enabling Six enabling conditions A look This belief is why our mission is to empower every As we worked to set and implement our person on the planet to achieve more, and why our CEO, conditions will ultimately commitments to become carbon negative, water Satya Nadella, stated, “the purpose of a corporation is dictate the success or failure positive, and zero waste and to deploy a Planetary ahead from to find profitable solutions to problems of people and Computer, some of these global challenges came into the planet.“ of the sustainability agenda sharp focus. There is a suite of enabling conditions Unfortunately, 2020 brought an array of new challenges this decade—for Microsoft that must exist for Microsoft and the world to Lucas Joppa to this already complex work. COVID-19 has devastated effectively and efficiently achieve a more sustainable human lives in every corner of the globe, while climate and the world.” and just future. change caused unprecedented environmental and The enabling conditions that we must address inside This must be a decade of ambition economic damages. Dr. Lucas Joppa, Chief Environmental Officer Microsoft are clear—broadening and strengthening paired with action. At Microsoft, While vaccines are becoming available as a solution for our governance and accountability frameworks while we appreciate the urgency, COVID-19, solutions for climate change will require building a culture of sustainability investment and deploying a host of different tools to combat the many innovation. But it will be the creation of six enabling responsibility, risks, and drivers of climate change. For the survival of people and conditions outside Microsoft that will ultimately opportunities ahead. our planet, this is a battle we can’t afford to lose. dictate success or failure of the sustainability agenda. This will require the dedication of individuals, organizations, Resolving or improving these conditions will ensure a and governments, all focused on stabilizing Earth’s climate coherent, coordinated, cost-efficient approach to and properly managing its natural resources. individual and collective action on climate change. We have a limited amount of time to accomplish what Risk recognition will be the most significant behavioral and technological Without a holistic assessment of risk, it is societal transformation in modern human history. By difficult for companies to efficiently 2030, society must be well on its way to mitigating and manage their sustainability challenges. adapting to rapidly changing climates, ensuring resilient Unfortunately, the scale and societal water supplies, reducing the amount of waste we interdependencies of climate risk make generate, and reversing the ongoing and catastrophic a comprehensive assessment difficult. degradation of ecosystems while halting the extinction While many important efforts are of species. underway, there is not yet an exhaustive framework for risk assessment That is why this must be a decade of ambition paired for businesses. with action. By 2030, a widely adopted and At Microsoft we appreciate the urgency, responsibility, 2030 comprehensive risk framework will risks, and opportunities ahead. That is why a little over By 2030, Microsoft will need to be in place to ensure every a year ago we began a process to transform our remove more carbon than it business can fully integrate environmental company’s work on sustainability to better align with the emits. By 2050, we will remove risk at the core of their corporate scope, scale, and speed of the world’s environmental all historical emissions. governance process. challenges and yet-to-be created solutions.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 9 2021 Outlook (continued) Standards setting More needs to happen Standards and globally accepted definitions drive efficiency, clarity, and interoperability. For corporate By 2030, we must progress on the six enabling conditions: sustainability commitments to be meaningful, we must ensure that everyone is working from the same taxonomy. Without standards we won’t be able to compare one company’s net-zero commitment to any 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. other, and more time will be spent trying to assess whether a commitment is meaningful than will be in Risk Standards Data Innovation Market Policy making meaningful progress on sustainability. If we can’t recognition setting digitization investment maturation progression do basic math on carbon numbers from different sources because they were created using different methods, then how will we be able to track progress on emissions reductions and carbon removal, or incentivize suppliers or customers to improve their impact? Solving this means that society needs to make rapid advances on A widely adopted and By well before 2030, we Digitized sustainability Most climate investments Carbon offset and A globally coordinated agreeable sustainability standards. comprehensive risk must be operating in a data must become a will need to fit within a removal, water policy regime should be in Companies are used to coming together within a sector framework will need to world where companies platform that allows well-structured and replenishment, and place that limits emissions to collectively advance industry standards. By well before be in place to ensure have come together across society to stitch together accepted framework that ecosystem service in line with a 1.5ºC future, 2030, we must be operating in a world where companies every business integrates sectors to agree on the dimensionality of the aligns investment vehicles markets can supply while respecting political have come together across sectors to agree on common environmental risk at common sustainability sustainability landscape along an appropriate greater and growing sovereignty and the sustainability units and methods of measurement. the core of their units and methods of from the bottom up, and risk-tolerance spectrum, demand, transparently cross-boundary nature of Data digitization corporation’s corporate measurement across analyze them from the targeted on the most and with standard the Earth΄s life support Organizations’ sustainability data systems are often governance process. carbon, water, and waste. top down. impactful areas. insurance guarantees. systems, and does so with analog, siloed, and one-off—if they exist at all. Digital a focus on the need to monitoring and recording systems of carbon emissions, equitably share these water consumption, waste generation, and ecosystem resources across cultures health at an operational and planetary level will be the and communities. foundation upon which the private sector will ensure transparency, meaningfully inform policy advances, and unleash the creativity of markets to help build new solutions. By 2030, we must be operating in a world where digitized and standardized sustainability data are the platform that allows society to stitch together the incredible dimensionality of the sustainability landscape from the bottom up, and analyze them from the top down.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 10 2021 Outlook (continued) Innovation investment By 2030, we must be operating in a world where carbon We will act in accordance The coming years of action Not all solutions to our sustainability challenges are offset and removal, water replenishment, and ecosystem As you will see in the pages of this report, we have begun available today, and those that are available are often service markets can supply demand many orders of with what we think needs work on all six enabling conditions. Sometimes our early-stage, too expensive, or don’t currently scale. There magnitude greater than today and do so with to be done today to create actions may seem counterintuitive, and sometimes we is already a large and growing amount of capital starting transactional transparency and standard insurance and will be wrong. But over the next decade, our mentality to flow into the climate and sustainability markets to help indemnification guarantees. the world we need to be will stay the same—we will act in accordance with what with these issues, but little agreement on the framework Policy progression operating in by 2030. we think needs to be done today to create the world we that should guide these investments. This splinters the Policy action is the ultimate enabling condition to move need to be operating in by 2030. solutions market, makes it difficult to understand the world beyond the voluntary action of a few We are more convinced When we announced our carbon negative commitment investment gaps, and disempowers investors to quantify corporations, and into a world where this work is a year ago, we likened it to a moonshot—a grand goal both financial and environmental returns on investment. required of all organizations. We’ve seen a tremendous than ever that Microsoft, that will require exceptional organizational focus, an Attracting the amount of capital required and deploying amount of corporate action in the past several years. and the rest of the world, integration of innovation from multiple sectors, and a it optimally means that by 2030, most climate Yet still only around 5 percent of the world’s largest can’t-fail mentality. We know the work is monumental, investments will need to fit within a well-structured and companies represented by the Global Fortune 500 have is up to the task. for all of the reasons outlined previously. accepted climate investment framework that places the pledged to become net zero. We cannot depend on the If the past 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic and large constellation of investment vehicles along an leaders to bring up the laggards—that is what vaccine development have taught us anything, it is a appropriate risk-tolerance spectrum while thoughtfully government action must do. reminder that the human species is capable of targeting the most impactful areas of innovation. By 2030, we need to be operating under a tremendous scientific and technological innovation Market maturation comprehensive and globally coordinated policy regime when faced with a crisis. Our climate crisis may be Meeting the world’s sustainability goals will require the that limits emissions in line with a 1.5ºC future, and playing out more slowly than COVID-19 has, but the procurement of new solutions, particularly in areas like holistically monitors and manages humanity΄s deposits potential impact on the global economy, livelihoods, carbon reduction and removal, and water replenishment, and withdrawals from the natural systems that support and human health is the same—and so, too, must be at levels many orders of magnitude greater than they our species. This must be done in a way that respects the the scale and speed of our response. exist today. If these markets don’t mature rapidly, they political sovereignty of nations around the world but As we enter 2021, we are more convinced than ever that will be overwhelmed by the demand that will be placed respects the cross-boundary nature of the Earth΄s life Microsoft, and the rest of the world, is up to the task. We on them in the coming years. Current sustainability support systems, and the need to equitably share these are committed to playing our part and look forward to markets, such as those for avoided emissions offsets or resources across cultures and communities. working with all of you to help accelerate the world’s carbon removal credits, are opaque and poorly transition to a more economically and environmentally understood by many current customers and most future sustainable future for us all. ones. Standard contracting templates, aggregating demand through buyers’ alliances, and well communicated pricing and delivery are all advances that will mature these markets and ready them for the onslaught of demand that will occur in the final years of this decade and beyond.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 11 2020 Progress In 2020, we announced our four commitments that Ecosystems Zero waste Water positive Carbon negative will guide our sustainability work for the next decade. While we have much to do, we have already begun 700+ $10M 500MW to see progress. Grew the AI for Earth Invested $10 million in PPA with Sol Systems will grantee community $30M the Emerald Technology advance clean energy and to over 700 grantees in Ventures’ Global Water environmental justice. over 100 countries. Invested $30 million in Impact Fund to support Carbon Build the Closed Loop Partners’ innovative technologies negative Water positive Zero waste Planetary funds to help build a for water conservation, Zero waste by 2030 by 2030 by 2030 Computer circular economy. access, and quality. 60K In FY20, diverted over 60 000 metric tons of Carbon negative Zero waste Carbon, water, and waste Ecosystems Zero waste waste from landfills. 1M 10,500 90% Water positive Secured one million Over 10,500 employees Circular Centers, piloted metric tons of carbon engaged in Ecochallenges $129M 10PB this year, can contribute to 7X removal via projects to reduce personal Invested $129 million across funds On-boarded 10 petabytes of increased reuse of servers from RFP process waste footprints. and organizations innovating in environmental and Earth observation by 90 per cent by 2025. Increased our for FY21. carbon reduction, water management, data to Azure that is now freely available replenishment project and circular economy. for the conservation community. portfolio by nearly 700 percent from FY19. Carbon negative Carbon negative Zero waste Carbon negative Water positive Carbon negative Water positive 21M First Zero 586,683 1.5M 100% 20 Top suppliers reduced Delivered first tool to Achieved Zero Waste Reduced emissions across Launched water All suppliers must report To date, funded nearly their collective footprint provide CO transparency Certification of datacenters all scopes by 586,683 accessibility work to their GHG emissions 20 replenishment 2 by 21 million tons CO e for cloud via the Microsoft in Dublin, Ireland and metric tons CO e in FY20. provide 1.5 million people through updated Supplier projects in six states as reported by CDP. 2 Sustainability Calculator. Boydton, Virginia. 2 access to safe drinking Code of Conduct. and two countries. water and sanitation.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 12 How we report About this How to read this report The report structure follows our four areas of commitment, across carbon, water, waste, and ecosystems, report with each as a chapter. Within each chapter, you will find sub-sections outlining the work we’ve done this year and where we are headed in the coming years across our pillars: We believe in transparency and accountability. This report is one way we will deliver on Enabling Key learnings these principles, which is why Our Getting to Driving systems and what’s we have shared our progress approach goal innovation change next and challenges, as well as our environmental data, which was reviewed by a third party. An explanation of Aligned to our Aligned to our customer Aligned to our policy and A candid look at what We intend to have additional why this is a focus area, operational and employee and product pillars. An investment pillars, as well we’ve learned in our first what our commitments pillars. An in-depth look in-depth look at the latest as partnerships and year and what is coming key portions of the report are, and a selection at our operational innovations from research and development. next in each program. reviewed by a third party by of accomplishments. roadmap and approach Microsoft to help our our next annual report. This is to reduce, replace, or customers and partners remove our footprint, as reduce their footprints part of a multi-year effort to well as employee and in carbon, water, waste, provide leading transparency, community engagement. and ecosystems. visibility and reliability in our non-financial reporting.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 13 “ While the world will Contents need to reach net zero, Our approach 14 those of us who can afford Getting to carbon negative 17 to move faster and go Reducing Scope 1 and 2 17 further should do so. emissions That’s why Microsoft is Reducing Scope 3 19 working to reduce and emissions Removing carbon 21 ultimately remove our Driving innovation: Digital 22 carbon footprint.” tools for carbon reduction Brad Smith, President Enabling systems change 24 Key learnings 29 What’s next? 30
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 14 Our approach The context The science is clear—to avert the worst effects of the 2030 Our progress to date Overview rapidly changing climate, the world needs to transition to a net zero carbon emissions economy by 2050. By 2030, Microsoft will To reach net zero emissions, the world must prioritize remove more carbon making deep emissions reductions across all sectors, than it emits. thereby cutting carbon emissions by half over the next 10 years. In addition, to account for hard-to-abate emissions sources, we must invest in reliable techniques for permanently removing carbon. Microsoft has operated carbon neutral since 2012. Like many companies, our neutrality commitment relied on investing in offsets that paid others to not emit carbon, instead of removing carbon dioxide. The science, and the social and economic impacts of Net Zero $50 million climate change, drove our conclusion that carbon neutral alone is not enough—leading to our carbon Became a founding member Invested $50 million in Energy negative commitment in 2020. of Transform to Net Zero. Impact Partners. By 2030, we will be carbon negative, Find out and by 2050, we will remove from the more here Launched the Microsoft Sustainability 1 million Calculator to provide transparency on atmosphere all the carbon dioxide carbon to customers. we have emitted since we were Secured 1 million metric tons of carbon founded in 1975. removal for FY21 from projects via RFP. Named to the CDP A List for Climate Scope 3 Change in 2020. Extended internal carbon fee 586,683 to include Scope 3 emissions. Reduced emissions across all scopes by 586,683 metric tons of CO e in FY20. Updated our Supplier Code 2 of Conduct to require a greenhouse gas emission disclosure. Microsoft received certification from the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi) for our carbon goals and targets in 2019.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 15 Our approach (continued) Our carbon Empowering customers We will help our suppliers, commitments and partners customers, and partners We will help our suppliers, customers, around the world reduce In January 2020, Microsoft and partners around the world reduce their carbon footprints CEO Satya Nadella, President their carbon footprints through our Brad Smith, and Chief learnings and with the power of data, through our learnings and AI, and digital technology. with the power of data, AI, Financial Officer Amy Hood announced a new ambitious and digital technology. goal and plan for Microsoft to be carbon negative by 2030. Nearly eliminating direct emissions Using our voice on carbon- We will reduce our Scope 1 and 2 related public policy issues emissions to near zero by the middle of the decade, through energy We will support new public policy efficiency work and reaching 100 initiatives to accelerate carbon percent renewable energy by 2025. reduction and removal opportunities. Becoming carbon negative Removing carbon By 2030, Microsoft will be carbon By 2030, Microsoft will remove more negative, and by 2050, we will remove carbon than it emits. By 2050, we΄ll from the atmosphere all the carbon remove all our historical emissions. dioxide our company has emitted either directly or by our electricity consumption Investing in the future since we were founded in 1975. We have created a $1 billion Climate Innovation Fund to accelerate the Reducing value chain global development of carbon emissions reduction and removal technologies, By 2030, we will reduce our Scope 3 as well as related climate solutions. emissions by more than half.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 16 Our approach (continued) Table 1 Microsoft’s definitions Table 1 1 of carbon neutral and Microsoft´s pathway to carbon negative by 2030 carbon negative: 14M 12M Carbon neutral 10M A company is said to be carbon neutral by reducing their emissions and/or e 8M paying others to not emit an equivalent 2 6M to their remaining emissions. 4M Carbon negative Metric tons CO2M A company is carbon negative when 0 it removes more carbon than it emits each year. Our definition is that carbon -2M negative must be even bolder than net -4M zero—making deep reductions first and foremost, then using removal only -6M for the residual footprint, and going 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 beyond that to cover even more. Net carbon emissions (after carbon removal) Microsoft and its supply chain carbon emissions Microsoft operational carbon emissions Avoided emissions offsets Carbon removal 1 Chart has been updated to reflect latest actual values which incorporate latest methodology and structural change adjustments. Table 2 Historic and projected emissions driven by latest actual data have also been updated for consistency. Projected removal values have also been updated consistent with our latest projected emissions and procurement strategy. Microsoft emissions (Scopes 1, 2, 3) 14M e 12M 2 10M 8M 6M Metric tons CO4M 2M 0 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 Scope 1 Scope 2 Scope 3 Scope 2 and 3 emissions included in this chart are market-based.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 17 Carbon negative Reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions and Dublin campuses and sites. ESB, in addition to Getting Scopes explained We are driving down Scope 1 and 2 emissions to near energy optimization programs and modern workplace zero by the middle of this decade, focusing on our direct solutions, has enabled us to reduce our energy Scope 1 and indirect emissions from our facilities and datacenters consumption globally by almost 25 percent since 2012, to carbon Direct emissions created through the following methods: while growing our building portfolio. by your activities Zero carbon power and diesel-free generation With new campuses, we will pursue LEED Platinum We are working to scale up our consumption of zero certification. These projects demonstrate high negative carbon energy in our campuses and datacenters. performance designs through innovations such as all- This is the exhaust that comes from the • Our Puget Sound campus has been powered by zero electric central plants, thermal energy storage, geothermal vehicles on your campus, natural gas that your carbon Washington hydropower since 2019, and now, wells, operable windows, mass timber construction, and Our strategy includes reducing buildings directly consume, and the generators with our Puget Sound Campus Modernization project, embodied carbon reduction via material selection. our Scope 1 and 2 emissions to you might run. we’re going a step further and eliminating the use of Improving energy efficiency in datacenters near zero by the middle of this Scope 2 fossil fuels for all daily operations, including the use We use a familiar industry calculation, power usage Indirect emissions from of natural gas in our kitchens. effectiveness, to measure and improve efficiency, while decade, reducing our Scope 3 the production of the • We will eliminate our dependency on diesel fuel at also evaluating new innovations and initiatives that we emissions by more than half by electricity or heat you use our datacenters by 2030. Cloud providers around the can pilot on our own datacenters. 2030, and removing more world rely on diesel-powered generators for backup In 2018, a report showed significant energy and carbon This type of emission comes from the traditional power to support continuous datacenter operations. emissions reduction potential from the Microsoft cloud carbon than we emit. energy sources that power your office buildings We will shift to low-carbon standby power systems when compared with on-premises datacenters. These or your home. including battery storage, and low-carbon fuel such as gains, as much as 93 percent more energy-efficient Scope 3 hydrogen, building on a successful test in 2020 using and as high as 98 percent more carbon-efficient, are hydrogen fuel cells as backup power for datacenters. due to Microsoft’s extensive investments in IT efficiency Indirect emissions from all Zero carbon transport from from chips to datacenter infrastructure, as well as other activities in which renewable energy. you΄re engaged We will electrify our global campus operations vehicle We also prioritize supporting local communities in which fleet, over 1,800 vehicles, by 2030. This work encompasses we operate datacenters with programs to reduce local These emission sources can be extensive. every vehicle that supports our office locations around the air pollution, improve air quality, and cut carbon They cover all parts of your supply chain, from world. With many vehicle types, ownership structures, and emissions. Projects include initiatives that enable the materials in buildings, business travel for your regional market variations, we have begun developing a shift to clean, affordable, renewable energy and that team, and product lifecycle all the way to the 10 year execution strategy that will demonstrate market transform the grid towards a low-carbon future, such electricity your customers consume. demand for zero carbon transportation and interweave as distributed renewables installations, community This is the largest category of all the different technology to enable our goals. ground mount systems, localized clean energy plans, emission scopes and poses one of the largest Improving operational efficiency in buildings and renewable energy education. areas for improvement. Since 2012, we’ve deployed an energy smart buildings (ESB) solution that has reduced energy consumption and Find out costs by 6 to 10 percent at Puget Sound, Las Colinas, more here Beijing, Shanghai, Fargo, Charlotte, Silicon Valley,
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 18 Carbon negative (continued) Moving to 100% renewable energy assets, as well as their customers’ consumption, to supply We support local Supporting climate equity and environmental justice By 2025, we will reach our 100 percent renewable energy them with continuous renewable energy. Azure IoT We recognize that climate and environmental issues don’t goal by purchasing enough renewable energy to match our solutions also allow users to adjust their business communities in which affect every community in the same way and that we need electricity consumption at our datacenters, buildings, and operations to better fit the availability of renewables, we operate datacenters to address environmental equity as a broader issue. In fact, campuses worldwide. We are well on our way to reaching monetizing their energy flexibility and decreasing their those most affected by climate change are those who have this goal, as we began purchasing renewable energy via carbon footprint. This solution is being used at our with programs to reduce contributed the least to climate change. Renewable energy long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) in 2013, and Swedish offices and, in the third quarter of 2020, we local air pollution, improve procurement can help address these inequities. have steadily signed more deals in subsequent years, announced that our new datacenter region in Sweden will In June 2020, we announced our largest power PPA to purchasing renewable energy across three continents. also rely on the solution—which is now available to air quality, and cut date with this in mind. Our 500MW PPA with Sol Systems Our approach to renewable energy has two core tenets: customers throughout the country via Vattenfall. carbon emissions. is a first-of-its-kind initiative, tying the purchasing of regional impact and additionality. We have focused on Piloting distributed generation renewable energy to environmental justice and equity in regional matching to operations, because where and We believe distributed energy generation has a key role under-resourced communities. This partnership: how you buy matters—the closer the new wind or solar to play in the transition to a zero-carbon grid. In 2020, • Prioritizes projects in under-resourced communities, farm is to your datacenter, the more likely it is those zero Microsoft launched a new project to pilot this work. We working with local leaders and prioritizing minority carbon electrons are powering it. Microsoft, as a result, is partnered with SSE Airtricity, Ireland’s largest provider of and women-owned businesses. sometimes a market driver, striking the first or the largest 100 percent renewable energy and a part of SSE Group, corporate PPAs in a state or region that was not to install and manage a large number of internet- • Provides at least $50 million for community-led grants previously viewed as a good market for renewables. We connected solar panels, which are connected via Azure and investments that support educational programs, also focus on additionality, using our capital to fund new IoT to Microsoft Azure. Software tools then aggregate job and career training, and programs that support projects that may not succeed without our investment. and analyze real-time data on energy generated by the access to clean energy and energy efficiency. We utilize on-site energy when it makes sense. For solar panels, allowing optimization and reduction of the • Ensures that community benefits are realized with example, we currently power 25 percent of our Silicon carbon footprint of electricity grids globally. accountability measures, including using third-party Valley campus from on-site photovoltaic panels. Grid-interactive energy storage batteries evaluators to quantify and document social and Our efforts go well beyond procurement because we Microsoft has successfully piloted, in partnership with environmental outcomes of the initiative. recognize that simply adding more renewables is Eaton and PJM Interconnection, grid-interactive energy Outside of the US, we are also using our procurement in insufficient. We are innovating ways to enable utilities to storage batteries in Virginia and Chicago. Utilizing support of climate equity. In the third quarter of 2020, on-board increasing amounts of renewables in an Eaton’s EnergyAware technology, we used a battery that Microsoft purchased the first-ever Peace REC (P-REC), issued effective and efficient way, so more people can benefit typically sits in our datacenter as a backup system, by Energy Peace Partners from Congolese solar developer from renewable energy, including the following: hooked it up to the grid to receive signals about when to Nuru’s newly commissioned 1.3MW commercial solar-plus- take in power, when to store it, and when to discharge to storage project in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo. 24/7 renewable energy matching solutions support stability, grid balancing, and integration of The purchase helped Nuru install and operate 35 mini-grid- In 2020, we launched a new 24/7 matching solution with renewable energy. With thousands of batteries as part of connected streetlights in the Ndosho neighborhood of Goma. Swedish energy company Vattenfall—a first-of-its-kind our backup power systems, this pilot demonstrates the approach that allows an hourly-matched supply of 100 potential to rapidly scale storage solutions, allowing percent renewable energy. Microsoft Azure IoT gives datacenters to support grid stability, furthering the renewable energy suppliers, like Vattenfall, real-time penetration of renewable energy. Following the data on their renewable energy and energy storage successful pilots, we are investigating the suitability of In our datacenters, we’re measuring and improving efficiency. further deployment at new projects in other geographies.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 19 Carbon negative (continued) Reducing Scope 3 emissions Scope 3 Further improving energy efficiency of We are reducing our Scope 3 emissions by more than devices and software half by 2030. While we do not have direct control over In our devices and software, we are continuing to the majority of emissions in the Scope 3 category, they 8.9% reduce carbon emissions and environmental impact represent the bulk of our emissions and we are from design to manufacturing. For further information addressing them in our carbon negative commitment Our Scope 3 carbon see the Devices Sustainability Report. by the following methods: emissions related to Surface devices was reduced The Surface Pro X uses less power than the Surface Pro 6, Improving supplier emissions data tracking by 8.9 percent (-524K In 2020, as reported to us by CDP, our top suppliers mtCO e) from a 2017 while providing similar high performance. Estimated reduced their collective carbon footprint by 21 million 2 total energy consumption for the Surface Pro X is 13.1 base year. kWh/year, compared with 18.2 kWh/year for the Surface metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO e). 2 Pro 6, equivalent to a 28 percent reduction. Our Devices team built an Audit Management System using Microsoft Power BI to embed compliance and Xbox sustainability into our business. Now, we can track Xbox recently added Regulatory Standby Plus (RS+) as a performance and enable continuous supply chain new power mode. At a high level, RS+ will provide the improvements by tracking supplier maturity in social power savings and environmental benefits of RS with the and environmental accountability. benefits of keeping the user’s OS and content up to date. Improving supplier emissions reporting This can reduce power from 15W to less than 2W during In 2020, we updated our Supplier Code of Conduct to standby mode. now require a greenhouse gas emission disclosure. This Windows is a first step to increase transparency and enable us to In May 2020, we launched the Windows Software work collaboratively with our suppliers to help reduce Sustainability Initiative. It aims to reduce the carbon their emissions. footprint of Windows software and will establish a set In 2021, this data will become an explicit aspect of our Extending the carbon fee to Scope 3 emissions of best practices for energy-efficient Windows app procurement processes for our supply chain, including We established our internal carbon fee in 2012 to fund development. We will build on this in FY21, aiming to informing buying decisions. We will continue working our carbon neutrality commitment. In 2019, we raised reduce the energy consumption of the top 20 most-used with our suppliers to on-board them to our new the fee to $15 per ton, which we charged to each Windows experiences, which together represent 90 approach and ensure compliance. business group across Microsoft based on their Scope 1 percent of active Windows energy usage. and 2 carbon emissions and business air travel. In 2020, we expanded the fee to cover each business Find out group’s Scope 3 emissions. While we’ve initially set the more here fee at a lower rate for Scope 3, it will ramp up over time until there is one single fee across our entire emissions portfolio. We are already seeing results, with accelerated investments in the energy efficiency of our software and hardware. Above left: Surface Pro X Above: Xbox
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 20 Carbon negative (continued) Reducing embodied carbon Shifting to virtual events For example, Microsoft’s multiple-day MVP Global Reducing carbon from travel with SAF In our 500-acre Puget Sound Campus Modernization We began shifting events to a virtual format using Teams Summit event in March 2020 was migrated to a When employees do travel, we want to use our travel project, we are partnering with industry leaders to pilot with our 2019 shareholder meeting. With virtual events virtual format on Teams. The Summit included over dollars wisely and in support of greener options, and fund a new tool, the Embodied Carbon in becoming the norm due to COVID-19, we held all our 2,000 attendees from around the world. By hosting including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Construction Calculator (EC3). EC3 enables data-driven 2020 events virtually, including flagship events like Build, the event virtually as compared to in-person, the carbon In October 2020, Microsoft announced a partnership decisions in selecting carbon smart building materials Ignite, and Inspire as well as smaller regional and emissions were estimated to be lowered by nearly 5,000 with Alaska Airlines and SkyNRG to supply an amount of while highlighting which materials have the greatest business group events. We relied on Teams, finding metric tons. This is equivalent to removing roughly SAF that will cover Microsoft employees’ travel on three capacity for impact on the project—so we can prioritize new ways to operate seamlessly and collaboratively— 390,000 cars from the road for one day, which is more frequently traveled Alaska routes—between Seattle and investments accordingly. and are beginning to calculate the carbon benefits of than the number of cars crossing the George Washington San Francisco, San Jose, and Los Angeles. The SAF, In our modernization project, we set a 30 percent this approach. Bridge per day, or the amount of carbon absorbed over 10 supplied by SkyNRG and produced from waste oil, is one reduction target for embodied carbon. The commitment years by planting nearly 150 acres of forest, which is over way for the aviation industry to reduce carbon emissions to using EC3 via third-party verified environmental half the size of Central Park. In 2021, we intend to share on a lifecycle basis. It is also a way for us to reduce the product declarations (EPDs) led to the first manufacture- additional information on the carbon emissions impacts emissions associated with our business travel in Scope 3. specific and product-specific EPDs for precast concrete of our larger events, such as Build, and on remote work. This first-of-its-kind partnership in the US is a model in the US. Based on our lessons learned, we are other companies can use to reduce their employees’ expanding the use of the EC3 tool to our datacenters and carbon emissions associated with business travel. other new campuses to reduce embodied carbon. Our partnership with Alaska builds on our commitment Rethinking travel to more sustainable air travel that we started in October For the past several years, we’ve encouraged employees 2019 via a partnership with KLM, where we committed to rely more on Microsoft Teams and less on travel to to purchase the SAF equivalent to all flights taken by work with their colleagues and customers. In 2020, prior Microsoft between the US and the Netherlands on KLM to COVID-19, we began empowering employees with and Delta Airlines. more information and new choices, including TripTrackerLite, which delivers personal travel statistics including carbon impact from travel. We worked with our travel partner, Concur, to provide the estimated carbon emissions of flights and help employees compare the carbon costs, as well as financial costs, of their travel options. We’ve encouraged employees to rely more on Teams and less on airline travel.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 21 Carbon negative (continued) Removing carbon In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 1M (IPCC) special report on 1.5°C found that reducing emissions by transitioning to zero-carbon energy, avoiding deforestation, and increasing energy efficiency will be vital, metric but insufficient, to prevent the level of warming rising to unsafe levels. Carbon removal—the process of extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it in tons nature and deep in the Earth—will be crucial to achieving of carbon removal our climate goals. Microsoft’s commitment to become contracted for in 2020. carbon negative will require us to purchase an increasing amount of carbon removal. Meeting our goal will require the market to evolve— offering many more, better-quality carbon removal Our initial portfolio focused on nature-based solutions. services at increasingly affordable rates. We intend to use our procurement of carbon removal to drive demand for Results of the first carbon removal RFP high-quality carbon removal methods through our In July 2020, we issued a request for proposal (RFP) criteria, projects, and market innovations. to source carbon removal from a range of solutions. In 2020, we launched our removal program, with a goal Our initial portfolio focused on nature-based climate to contract for the removal of 1 million metric tons of solutions due to pricing and availability. We will shift to carbon dioxide from the environment. a blend of nature and technology-based solutions as We began with establishing key principles and defining they become more viable. Our portfolio includes: our scope. We also enlisted the support of third-party • Reforestation projects in Peru, Mississippi, Nicaragua, scientific and market advisors, including NGO Winrock and India. International and the advisory firm CarbonDirect, to Carbon removal will be crucial to achieving our climate goals. inform our procurement strategy. • Improved forestry projects in the US. • Soil carbon removal projects in the US and Australia. Carbon removal principles Carbon removal solutions • Biochar projects in Europe and Australia. • Engineered solutions such as direct air capture and bio- Bioenergy oil sequestration. Net Scientific Avoidance Other Afforestation Soil carbon with carbon Direct air Beyond the projects we supported, our RFP process negativity verification of harm considerations* and sequestration capture and capture brought us a new level of insight about quality and reforestation storage* (DAC) volume on the market today. We need far clearer standards for carbon removal durability and reversal * Consideration of scalability, affordability, climate equity, geographic location, and technology innovation. * (BECCS). risk, and we need collective buying and investment to accelerate and scale this nascent market.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 22 Driving innovation Microsoft Sustainability Calculator Digital tools We have introduced the Microsoft Sustainability 10K Calculator, which provides our customers with transparency into their carbon emissions resulting Over 10,000 users of EC3 for carbon from their cloud usage, making Microsoft the only tool, hosted on Azure, cloud provider to provide full transparency to to improve transparency customers across all three scopes of emissions. Using of carbon emissions in reduction AI and advanced analytics, the Sustainability building materials. Calculator shows reduction trends for customer cloud usage over time, providing the ability to forecast We believe that Microsoft’s cloud emissions and simplify carbon reporting. It uses consistent and accurate carbon accounting to most important contribution to quantify the impact of Microsoft cloud services on carbon reduction will come not customers’ environmental footprint and can compile from our own work alone, but by the information into reports for voluntary or statutory reporting requirements. helping our customers, partners, Find out and suppliers reduce their carbon more here Helping our customers, partners, and suppliers around the world reduce their carbon footprints. footprints through our learnings and with the power of data, AI, Embodied Carbon in Construction and digital technology. Calculator (EC3) Launched in November 2019 and hosted on Azure, the free EC3 tool reveals the embodied carbon in materials so architects, engineers, and contractors can make informed choices, selecting materials with the lowest climate impact. There are now over 10,000 users of the EC3 tool. It received the World Green Building Council΄s Chair΄s Award on Global Green Building Entrepreneurship in 2020 and has a global database of carbon data for almost 5,000 individual building products across major material categories. Find out more here Microsoft Sustainability Calculator.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 23 Driving innovation (continued) Enabling customers and partners Providing growers with insights to lower GHGs across industries 40% Cloud Agronomics uses remote-sensing technology and Advancing the energy transition AI, leading a new wave of proactive analytics to lower BP and Microsoft have formed a strategic partnership In the US, buildings greenhouse gas emissions and spur sustainable food to further digital transformation in energy systems and account for 40 percent production. They scan crops and soils using advance the net zero carbon goals of each company. In of overall energy hyperspectral imaging, generating lab-grade analysis 2020, the companies signed an agreement to co-explore consumption. from the air. Then, within Azure, calibration and analysis co-innovation opportunities across several key areas of algorithms convert the data into insights. Through their decarbonization that are important for our journey as crop nutrient and soil carbon measurement products, well as for the world. We are currently focused on IoT, Cloud Agronomics is building one of the largest tagged AI, and cloud solutions that are intended to advance datasets for agriculture, removing verification as a key smart and clean cities, clean energy parks, and barrier to scale and boost soil-based carbon offset consumer energy. projects around the world. Enabling new energy efficiencies IoT and AI can improve Unlocking sustainable agriculture Supporting technology-backed geological carbon building efficiency. sequestration A robust partner ecosystem, relying on Azure, is Land O’Lakes, Inc. and Microsoft forged a new alliance In the last quarter of 2020, Microsoft signed a accelerating Microsoft’s impact on carbon reduction. in 2020, aimed at pioneering new innovations in memorandum of understanding (MOU) to explore ways ABB energizes the transformation of society and agriculture. The work is already underway to build a to support the Northern Lights carbon dioxide transport industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable connected Digital Ag platform on Azure that brings and storage project. It is a joint effort of the Norwegian future. The IoT cloud platform for ABB Ability solutions is Land O’Lakes΄ portfolio of digital tools into a government and energy firms Equinor, Shell, and Total based on Azure. Honeywell is using Azure in Honeywell standardized architecture. In addition, the teams have that chains together technologies developed for the Forge, its Enterprise Performance Management software been collaborating on the initial build of soil health energy industry across decades, using them in new that integrates with Microsoft Dynamics 365, enabling technologies that bring data from sensors and satellites ways to provide for the effective transportation, receipt, predictive maintenance applications to improve together with farmer behavior data to predict carbon and permanent storage of carbon in a reservoir in performance and energy efficiency across enterprise sequestration. These estimates, as well as information in Norway’s North Sea. As part of the MOU, Microsoft environments. Johnson Controls and Microsoft Truterra Insights Engine, can help reduce carbon for the and Northern Lights partners will explore opportunities expanded their partnership in December 2020 with a planet while turning a profit for farmers. to integrate digital expertise, supporting the work to new collaboration to digitally transform how buildings standardize and scale carbon capture across Europe and spaces are conceived, built, and managed to deliver and use the transport and storage facilities as part energy optimization among other benefits. Together with of Microsoft’s climate ambitions. Microsoft Azure, Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure digital solutions empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability. You can learn more about these and other partner solutions at: Find out more here
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 24 Enabling systems change Research and development Catalyzing Researchers at Microsoft are charged with inventing the 1/8th future of Microsoft and addressing societal challenges. With that mandate, teams around the globe are Failure rate of undersea innovation and developing new technology approaches aimed at servers compared providing better performance than today’s state-of-the- with land-based art, while also using energy and materials more control group. collective action efficiently. Research ideas being explored include Project Natick evaluates radically different datacenter architectures, use of novel the benefits that materials and techniques to store and transport data, underwater datacenters and more computationally- and energy-efficient methods have on reliability, We are focused on new ways to for training and deriving predictions from AI models. efficiency, and sustainability. harness the power of technology, partnerships, investments, and policy Jonathan Banks. Datacenter systems In July 2020, Project Natick retrieved its underwater to drive impact at scale and pace to datacenter from the sea floor off Scotland’s Orkney help the world get to carbon zero. Islands. This project had previously demonstrated the feasibility of undersea deployment. Its latest phase evaluated practical concerns, with many promising learnings for environmental sustainability: • Servers failed at one-eighth the rate of a land-based control group—prolonging the life of the computers and reducing the need for replacement components and materials. • Cold seawater can be used for cooling servers— without detectable temperature impact a few meters downstream, without tapping critical freshwater resources, and with greater cooling efficiency than air. • The datacenter ran reliably on a renewable energy grid supplied 100 percent by wind, solar, and experimental green energy technologies. It also provided an attractive location for sea life—it was quickly colonized by multiple species of fish and other sea life.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 25 Enabling systems change (continued) Datacenter storage Datacenter networking The demand for long-term data storage in the cloud >60% Emerging workloads such as distributed machine- is reaching unprecedented levels, and continues to learning training and memory disaggregation will grow into the zettabytes (tens of billions of gigabytes). DNA-based storage require orders of magnitude higher bandwidth and This reality demands step-change growth in storage could reduce GHG lower latency than today’s applications. It will be very densities, material lifetimes, and large-scale storage emissions, energy, and hard to meet these demands with today’s electrical- system architectures to avoid costs and environmental water consumption switch-based infrastructure due to the fundamental impacts from vastly scaling up storage facilities with by more than 60 challenges in scaling electrical bandwidth in a cost and today’s technologies. Fundamentally new approaches percent each. power-effective way and in providing sub-microsecond we are developing for archival storage include quartz predictable latency at scale. Project Sirius is investigating glass and synthetic DNA: whether ultra-fast optical switching within datacenters • Project Silica is capitalizing on recent discoveries in could allow us to sidestep these disruptions. It aims to ultrafast laser optics to store data in quartz glass by develop an all-optical, datacenter-wide network that is using femtosecond lasers. In a 2019 proof of concept, completely flat. By eliminating the inefficiencies of the project was able to store and retrieve the entire hierarchy and using the strengths of optics, such a Warner Bros. Superman movie on a piece of glass network could provide better and more predictable roughly the size of a drink coaster (75 by 75 by 2 mm performance with higher reliability and at lower cost. thick). Now, researchers are working closely with our AI efficiency Azure team to build a completely new storage system The rise of data and AI means we must also pursue a from the ground up around this technology. This effort variety of approaches to increase efficiency in AI opens up an exciting opportunity to completely Researchers from hardware and software. Azure AIOps is building on re-think traditional storage system design, and to • Researchers at Microsoft and the University of Microsoft and University of AI systems research to make more efficient use of co-design the future hardware and software Washington are collaborating to advance long-term Washington in the wet lab, computational resources in the cloud. Advances in infrastructure for the cloud. storage of digital data in synthetic DNA, including working on DNA data deep learning research are reducing the computational system architectures supporting random access and storage experiments. intensity of AI model training and inferencing. The Weightless PARSEC algorithm efficiently identifies encoding schemes. DNA storage is attractive because Dennis Wise/University of Washington. it is both extremely dense and long-lasting: it could high-performing deep neural network architectures, hold up to 1 exabyte of data (1 billion GB) per cubic and in our tests, uses 100 times less computational cost inch, with durability from hundreds to thousands of to achieve levels of accuracy similar to comparable years. These features make it attractive for avoiding models. Platform-Aware Search enables similar construction, material (embedded carbon), operational efficiencies at inference time, by accounting for (energy), and other environmental impacts of scaling additional constraints such as latency or energy usage; up use of existing technologies. Based on these Factorized Neural Layers speed up training and inference impacts, a recent lifecycle analysis estimated that and enable reductions in model size with minimal impact relative to archival storage on tape, DNA-based on performance. storage could reduce greenhouse gas emissions, energy, and water consumption by more than 60 percent each.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 26 Enabling systems change (continued) Climate Innovation Fund 8 percent of global emissions, and low-GHG Our Climate Innovation Fund is focused on accelerating innovations like CarbonCure can reduce the carbon existing technology and investing in the innovation $50M footprint of our built environment. Microsoft used the of new technologies to help Microsoft and the world CarbonCure product in concrete mixes provided to our reach net zero emissions. investment in Energy LinkedIn Bay Area campus where our collective In the first year of our fund, we have made commitments Impact Partners΄ global low-carbon concrete strategies will keep to carbon removal and carbon reduction technologies investment coalition, approximately 4.8 million pounds of carbon out of the across a range of sectors, including designing a carbon focused on new atmosphere, a 30 percent reduction in business as removal project finance facility with direct air capture technologies. usual. We see CarbonCure as a technology solution pioneer Climeworks, to support its first-of-a-kind to decarbonize our global construction activities, as commercial-scale, fully renewable carbon capture and well as a market enabler for productive use of mineralization plant, located in Iceland. captured carbon. We are seeding the global economy’s future portfolio • Aclima, a climate technology company with a of climate solutions with early stage investments such as: pioneering approach to mapping hyperlocal air pollution and greenhouse gases block by block. Their • $50 million in Energy Impact Partners’ (EIP) global technology supports data-driven environmental investment coalition, a leading private equity platform decisions with consideration for climate equity. focused on new technologies enabling the transition Our portfolio to date includes a mix of fund partnerships to cleaner, more resilient, and more inclusive energy and direct investments. Each commitment represents a and transportation ecosystems, two sectors that key ingredient in the technology roadmap to net zero. account for most greenhouse gas emissions. EIP In particular, our investments target inflection points in follows a uniquely collaborative impact investment technology development and deployment where capital model by partnering with over 30 of the world’s is scarce, and investment can make an outsized impact largest, most innovative, and environmentally on growth prospects and early adoption. conscious corporate firms as highly engaged, strategic investors. • CarbonCure, a low-GHG concrete technology company, in a round with Amazon and Breakthrough Energy Ventures. Cement accounts for approximately Carbon removal and reduction will change all sectors of the economy.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 27 Enabling systems change (continued) Transformational partnerships Pathways to Net Zero: A Guide for Business. The Transform to Net Zero Transform to Net Zero. Microsoft is a founding member This report from EDF+Business, with analytical research of Transform to Net Zero, launched in July 2020. This support from Deloitte Consulting and contributions from coalition will focus on moving small group of established leaders aims to demonstrate Transform to Net Zero members including Microsoft, beyond commitments to and enable the business transformation needed to provides specific recommendations for the achieve net zero emissions by 2050, in addition to driving transportation and agriculture sectors, and for the retail business transformation by: broader change with a focus on policy, innovation, and and technology industries to begin and maintain a finance. The initiative is led by A.P. Moeller – Maersk, pathway towards net zero. It includes a roadmap with Danone, Mercedes-Benz AG, Microsoft, Natura & Co., detailed action items that companies, industries, and • Sharing the business transformation Nike, Starbucks, Unilever, and Wipro, as well as the sub-sectors can take today to accelerate net zero each company is undertaking. Environmental Defense Fund. It is supported by BSR, progress in their own operations, investments, • Delivering robust emission reductions which is serving as the secretariat. coordination, and advocacy. across the business and value chains. The initiative intends to complete the outputs of this Find out • Working jointly with our partners work by 2025. Already, the group has produced: more here across supply chains. The Building Blocks for Net Zero Transformation. • Innovating and investing at scale in PwC and Microsoft have created a blueprint to help products, services, and business models guide companies to embed net zero aspirations and that amplify impact. actions within and across their business. Delivering on • Engaging with policymakers to incentivize net zero requires wholesale business transformation, and progress toward net zero. Playing for the Planet. Our gaming business has functions across the organization need to play a vital partnered with the United Nations Environment role. The guide includes good practices for net zero • Ensuring a just and sustainable transition. Programme on the Playing for the Planet initiative. Its transformation for stakeholders across a business. goals are to reduce the impact of the gaming ecosystem Find out on the environment through better carbon accounting more here and educating gamers everywhere on sustainable causes. For example, the Minecraft Build a Better World Initiative delivers in-game content, ranging from the need to protect and conserve, and matching funds to charitable organizations focused on conservation.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 28 Enabling systems change (continued) Policy We have seen progress against the following Microsoft has been In September 2020, Microsoft filed comments to support Future climate-related risks would be reduced by the areas already: FERC’s proposed carbon pricing policy and provided upscaling and acceleration of far-reaching, multilevel, Clean energy actively engaged in policy input on how to incorporate state-determined carbon and cross-sectoral climate mitigation and by both Microsoft advocated for several bills that would provide efforts to advance clean prices in wholesale electricity markets. incremental and transformational adaptation. Those a critical boost to research, development, and GHG reduction efforts must be guided by policy that accelerates carbon deployment of clean energy and carbon reducing energy, well-functioning In Europe, we have used our voice in support of more reduction and removal opportunities. technologies such as energy storage, direct air capture, carbon markets and carbon ambitious carbon reduction targets through the EU In past years, we have supported carbon pricing and and other carbon removal technologies, such as S. 2657, Climate Law, for example by signing an open letter by clean energy policy efforts at the state and national level the American Energy Innovation Act. Congress approved pricing, reduction targets, the Corporate Leaders Group Europe, calling on the in the US, through direct lobbying, engagement, and a package of these measures authorizing over $35 billion product transparency and EU leaders to reduce GHG emissions by at least 55 groups such as the Climate Leadership Council, CERES in new climate R&D as part of the omnibus spending bill. percent by 2030, as a milestone towards the EU’s BICEP Network, Advanced Energy Economy, Climate and Distributed energy resources more in both the United 2050 net zero goal. Clean Energy Solutions, and the Renewable Energy Microsoft has been advocating for the Federal Energy States and Europe Transparency on products Buyers Alliance. Regulatory Commission (FERC) to update its rules on We advocated for increased transparency in reporting In 2020, we committed to using our voice to speak out distributed energy resources (DERs) to participate in throughout 2020. the carbon footprint of products, services, and on four public policy issues that we think can advance wholesale electricity markets, provide resiliency, and organizations, through legislative initiatives as part of the the world’s carbon efforts: speed up innovation en route to a zero-carbon grid. In EU Green Deal. In 2020, we submitted comments to the • Expanding global basic and applied research efforts 2020, FERC approved a historic final rule, Order 2222, public consultations on the revision of the Non-Financial on carbon, funded by governments, and reorienting enabling DER aggregators to compete in all regional Reporting Directive, Renewed Sustainable Finance them towards targeted outcomes and enhanced organized wholesale electric markets. Strategy, and Green Claims to begin shaping legislative cross-border collaboration to develop the Carbon markets proposals expected in 2021. breakthrough technologies needed to achieve net In 2020, Virginia joined the Regional Greenhouse Gas Efficiency of datacenters zero global emissions. Initiative (RGGI) after ongoing advocacy and support by Microsoft has been supporting the EU’s efforts to develop • Removing regulatory barriers to help catalyze Microsoft. RGGI is a multi-state cap-and-invest program a policy proposal on climate neutral datacenters. We also markets to enable carbon-reduction technologies in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic US, and the revenue helped commission a major think tank study on to scale quicker. generated through RGGI is reinvested into the states datacenter energy efficiency issues for use in advocacy through energy efficiency mechanisms and bill savings, efforts and are helping create dedicated trade association • Introducing market and pricing mechanisms renewable energy markets, and other initiatives to projects in Brussels and Dublin to engage in the related so people and businesses can make more informed benefit the community and reduce emissions. policy efforts. carbon purchasing decisions. Carbon pricing • Empowering consumers through transparency based Microsoft was a lead member in the largest business on universal standards to inform purchasers about the gathering on Capitol Hill to advocate for climate carbon content of goods and services. legislation in over a decade, the Lawmaker Education & Advocacy Day (LEAD) in 2019. We followed up in 2020 to urge Congress to keep the focus on a green recovery and investments in a net zero economy.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 29 Key learnings What we’ve How to get started on carbon learned in your organization Sustainability. Good for Business. Executive Playbook: part how-to We need clearer standards, better guide, part inspiration accounting, and new ways to from real case studies, contract to get to net zero—which Building Blocks the playbook offers all for Net Zero companies, particularly will require partnerships across Transformation: those in Western many carbon market stakeholders. a how-to guide to Europe, a way to begin establishing a net zero or accelerate their work strategy, including on sustainability. Concentration matters. Our current atmospheric We need to raise the bar on standards. In our clarity on terminology Find out 1 concentration of greenhouse gas emissions is 3January 2020 event and accompanying blog post, and carbon offset more here catastrophically high to keep the climate stable, we focused on the need to get real on carbon engagements. Explainer Video – and far too dilute to make carbon easily math. The methodologies for carbon accounting Find out Carbon Math: get removable from the atmosphere. The world are ambiguous and discretionary, which won’t more here smarter on the must build a carbon removal market on an hold us collectively accountable on a path to challenge of carbon, unprecedented scale and timeline, from nearly 1.5°C. We need clearer protocols to ensure that Microsoft’s and why we need to be scratch. This work will be incredibly hard, progress reported on the balance sheet is truly Sustainability Guide: a real about carbon math. requiring integrity, public-private coordination, progress in the real world. Meanwhile, the short guide and longer and heavy investment simultaneously. accounting of carbon removal is far from playbook offer Find out straightforward. These much-needed market companies guidance more here Contracts are the building blocks of the new improvements will require partnership among on how to get started Carbon Negative by carbon economy. Our bold carbon negative goal many carbon market stakeholders. in a technology-led 2030: check out the 2was splashy—but the real work is in contracting, sustainable announcement of our whether to decarbonize our supply chain or to transformation. strategy, featuring CEO fund net new carbon removal. Contracts today Find out Satya Nadella, CFO do not include a price on carbon, or the cost of more here Amy Hood, and getting and keeping carbon out of the President Brad Smith. atmosphere—and they must. Passive purchasing Find out is not sufficient; we must also invest in market- more here making activities to boost supply of technologies for carbon reduction and removal alike.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 30 What΄s next? In 2021, we will continue to make progress Our focus against our carbon negative agenda, and 1 regularly share results and learnings. We will scale up our supply chain work, including deeper for 2021 engagement with top suppliers to reduce their carbon emissions and collect carbon data from the activities they undertake in their business with us. Also, given how frequently our supply chain overlaps with those of our customers, we will explore new ways of working together to obtain accurate data, improve reporting, and support our suppliers’ sustainable transformations. Another key area of growth is in technology- 2based carbon removal options, as we begin to shift our carbon removal portfolio towards a balance of nature-based and technology-based solutions. We will seek partners to co-finance and co-offtake from innovative carbon removal projects. Microsoft alone cannot bring about this market change, and we are committed to forming alliances that can have catalytic impact. Technology and data will also play a role in our 3product strategy. We aim to expand the functionalities of the Microsoft Sustainability Calculator to better serve our customers, while also bringing new solutions accelerators and features to market, via our product stack and our partner network. Looking for new approaches to test how to use real-time electricity data to pave a path towards always-available renewable energy, technology pilots focused on verification of sequestration in soils, and engineered solutions and expanded partner capabilities in driving energy efficiency across all industries. Carbon removal and increasing transparency will be key to our success in FY21.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 31 “ Microsoft is taking Contents Water responsibility for our own Our approach 32 water use and developing Getting to water 35 technology to help others positive do the same.” Reducing our water 35 footprint Brad Smith, President Replenishing water 37 positive Improving access to water 37 Driving innovation: 38 Digitizing water Enabling systems change 40 Key learnings 42 What’s next? 43
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 32 Our approach The context According to the World Bank, the reduction in Our progress to date Overview freshwater availability due primarily to climate change, >66% coupled with increased demand, could reduce water Climate change and availability in cities by more than 66 percent by 2050. increased demand could Getting ahead of the world’s imminent water crisis will reduce water availability require a reduction in the amount of water used to in cities by more than operate economies and societies while ensuring there 66 percent by 2050. is sufficient and clean water for all. This will require a transformation in the way water data is collected and managed, the way we build solutions and approaches to water, and a concerted effort for all organizations to properly account for and balance their water use. Microsoft has taken steps to reduce the water consumption in our datacenters and buildings over the past decade. With the latest scientific data on water scarcity in mind, we expanded our efforts in 2020, setting a new commitment to be water positive by 2030. Co-founded the Water We will reduce the water intensity Find out Resilience Coalition. of our direct operations, replenish more here 1.5M in water-stressed regions where Launched water accessibility work to $10M help provide 1.5 million people access we work, and enable access to 1.5 to safe drinking water and sanitation. million people—becoming water Invested $10 million in the Emerald positive by 2030. Technology Ventures’ Global Water Impact Fund to support innovative technologies for water conservation, 7X access, and quality. Increased our replenishment project portfolio by nearly 700 percent from FY19. To date, we have invested in nearly 20 replenishment projects in six states and two countries through partnerships with organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, Trout Ensuring there is sufficient and clean water for all. Unlimited, and Ducks Unlimited.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 33 Our approach (continued) Our water Driving collective action We will work with commitments We will partner with others to drive companies around the collective action, which begins with world to drive innovation With the latest scientific joining the Water Resilience Coalition data on water scarcity in as part of the United Nations Global and adoption of water mind, we expanded our Compact CEO Water Mandate. technologies. efforts in 2020, setting a Investing in the future of water new commitment to be We will work with companies around water positive by 2030. the world to drive innovation and adoption of water technologies. Digitizing water data We will use our technology to generate actionable insights, increase awareness of water issues, and optimize water replenishment. Becoming water positive Influencing policy by 2030 We will use our voice at the local, We will reduce the water intensity of national, and global levels to increase our direct operations, replenish in water access and availability, improve water-stressed regions where we work, quality, and ensure the integration of and enable access to 1.5 million people. water into climate strategies. Empowering our customers and partners We are developing solutions to help 1.5M customers and partners understand water-related risks. We will enable access to water to 1.5 million people in seven countries by 2030.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 34 Our approach (continued) Table 1 In FY20 we increased our Water availability: replenish more water than we use globally by 2030 (m³) water replenishment by 3 1,621,629 m . FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 Water withdrawals 5,148,454 6,718,985 7,505,081 7,618,089 Water consumption 1,912,934 3,325,664 3,945,783 3,966,639 Water replenishment¹ 96,906 235,380 1,621,629 ¹ Reported volumes represent total incremental contracted water replenishment projects for each fiscal year. Reported volumes may be adjusted once individual water replenishment projects are completed and volumes verified. Table 2 Water accessibility: enable the provision of water and sanitation services to 1.5 million people in 7 countries by 2030 1,800 1,600 1,400 1,200 1,000 800 600 400 Population provided water access (thousands)200 0 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26 FY27 FY28 FY29 FY30 FY31 India Indonesia China Brazil Mexico South Africa Malaysia Straight line projections are subject to change as water accessibility projects are implemented.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 35 Water positive Reducing our water footprint Getting to We are innovating in water collection, treatment, reuse, and water use intensity at our campuses and datacenters 35% water positive across the globe. Our new Herzliya, Net zero water campus Israel campus features Our new Silicon Valley campus, due to come online in water-efficient To meet our commitment to being 2021, will be among the first large office buildings in the plumbing fixtures world to be certified by a third party as a net zero water that drive up water water positive by 2030, we will facility. It will feature an on-site rainwater collection conservation by reduce our water footprint across system and waste treatment plant to ensure 100 percent 35 percent. of the site’s non-potable water comes from on-site our direct operations, while recycled sources. An integrated water management replenishing and increasing water system will manage and reuse rainwater and wastewater. By recycling our water, the campus will save an estimated access in water-stressed regions 4.3 million gallons of potable water each year. where we work. New offices, less water We help support water-stressed communities by recycling, reusing, and replenishing water where Herzliya campus with possible. When regional water shortages hit At our new Herzliya, Israel campus, water collected from water reuse to minimize Johannesburg, South Africa in 2018, we built an on-site air conditioners will be used exclusively to water plants potable water greywater treatment plant and began collecting on-site. In addition, water-efficient plumbing fixtures will consumption. rainwater to reduce the amount of water our local office drive up water conservation by 35 percent. needed to operate. Since then, we’ve built on this In India, where several of its most populous cities are approach in other campuses around the globe. struggling with water shortages, our Hyderabad campus Beijing is one of the world’s most water scarce cities. At our has a different challenge—high annual rainfall and floods Beijing West campus, we are taking steps to minimize our that jeopardize water quality. That is why the newest impact. We have installed a greywater treatment system building on our Hyderabad campus will support 100 that allows the recycling of HVAC condensed water, percent treatment and reuse of wastewater on-site for followed by water purification. Current recycled water landscaping, flushing, and cooling tower makeup. averages around 1,100 cubic meters per month. The Even in the rainy Pacific Northwest, water is an issue, with recovered water represents approximately 10 percent quality affected by runoff from urbanization and climate of daily domestic water consumption in the campus. change. At our headquarters modernization in Puget Sound, all new office buildings will reuse harvested rainwater in flush fixtures and low-flow systems, which is projected to save more than 5.8 million gallons annually. We also were awarded Salmon Safe certification, confirming that our designs protect local watersheds.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 36 Water positive (continued) Cooling with less water While energy has received most of the attention as our cloud has grown, datacenters generate significant 350M amounts of heat, which has typically been addressed by Saved 350 million liters using water for cooling. We have taken steps over the of water at Arizona past decade to minimize our water consumption, datacenter thanks to solar including new approaches such as fresh air and adiabatic energy from First Solar. cooling. This optimizes the use of both energy and water in a way most efficient for the local climate, while still delivering maximum computer power and performance. 5.8M Saving water in the desert At our new datacenter region in Arizona, slated to open Projected to save 5.8 million in 2021, we will use zero water for cooling for more than gallons of water annually at half the year, taking advantage of adiabatic cooling. our new Puget Sound headquarters. We are also partnering with First Solar to provide solar energy rather than traditional electricity generation, which is expected to save more than 350 million liters of water annually. Working to avoid Zero Day in South Africa In South Africa, we use atmospheric water generation to collect water out of the air to fill storage tanks for use in cooling our datacenters. These systems function as industrial dehumidifiers. Community engagement Minimizing water consumption in Our community engagement programs focus on datacenters using fresh air addressing community freshwater needs, alleviating and adiabatic cooling. competition for water resources, and improving local water quality and accessibility. For example, in Quincy, Washington, we installed a water reuse system. Industrial water reuse systems are designed to address growing water supply deficiencies in water-stressed areas while avoiding the need to develop additional potable water supplies. In South Africa, we supported the installation of smart water meters at 53 public hospitals in the Cape Town region. These meters provide greater visibility into water consumption to ensure that hospitals can remain operational despite a water crisis.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 37 Water positive (continued) Replenishing water Improving access to water Water replenishment seeks to return water to the Our reduction in water use intensity and our ecosystem from which an organization has consumed or 1.5M replenishment commitments address the key issue of sourced it, while also generating co-benefits. Our water We are working with water availability, which is the amount of water that can replenishment efforts complement our reduction efforts non-governmental be used to meet demand. That, however, is only part of by enabling us to make investments beyond our four organizations (NGOs) the challenge. Equally important is the issue of walls in the communities where we operate. We are one to ensure more than accessibility, which involves having access to reliable and of the first technology companies to adopt such a target. 1.5 million people have safe drinking water and sanitation services. Our strategy includes investments in projects such as access to sustainable, We are working with NGOs to ensure more than 1.5 wetland restoration and the removal of impervious safe drinking water million people have access to sustainable, safe drinking surfaces like asphalt, which will help replenish water and sanitation. water and sanitation, focused on seven countries. We back into the basins that need it most. We focus our started this work in 2020, and will grow it in 2021. replenishment efforts on roughly 40 highly stressed Enabling via microfinance basins where we have operations, using the World We’ve begun work with Water.org, a leading global Resources Institute’s Aqueduct tool to identify areas Water replenishment non-profit focused on underserved communities, to help subject to water stress. Pole Mountain wetland and riparian restoration returns water while people in Brazil, India, Indonesia, and Mexico. Our Wetland restoration in Chennai We are supporting the National Forest Foundation in generating co-benefits. a unique water project. By decommissioning seldom- investments will enable Water.org and its network of In partnership with The Nature Conservancy, we are used roads, the project will support wetland and riparian microfinance institutions to offer water supply and helping to demonstrate the potential of a scientific improvement, water replenishment, and sediment sanitation (WSS) loans that are used to install household- wetland restoration approach at Sembakkan Lake in reduction in the Pole Mountain area near Cheyenne, level taps and toilets, community water and sanitation Chennai, India. This project will support the local Wyoming, home to one of our datacenter regions. As of solutions, and rainwater harvesting and storage. ecosystem’s health, reduce pollution, recycle nutrients, 2020, over 6 acres of national forest were restored, which Water.org expects nearly 90 percent of the participants act as carbon and flood sinks, and contribute towards is helping to increase water yield, decrease erosion, and to be women living below the poverty line. This increasing resilience to severe weather events like floods protect the quality of Cheyenne’s drinking water. partnership will provide reliable drinking water and/or and droughts. sanitation access for 140,000 people by the end of FY21 Audubon Dakota Urban Woods and Prairie Initiative Water conservation in Lake Mead and empower 840,000 people by the end of FY23. We are supporting the National Audubon Society to We are supporting a project led by the Colorado Indian Microsoft΄s investment will be leveraged 68:1 and enable restore and enhance riparian grassland, wetland, and Tribes that allocates 150,000 acre-feet of “system at least $200 million in microloans. woodland habitats along the Red River in Fargo, North conservation” water to shore up levels of Lake Mead. Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota. The restoration of 44 Project benefits include fostering stabilized water levels In addition to the human impact, we will assess the acres of wetland and prairie habitat will improve water in Lake Mead, preventing shortages in California, volumetric water benefits in strategic high-stress storage and quality, and enhance urban wildlife habitat. Arizona, and Nevada, and supporting tribal water plans watersheds and river basins overlapping with our In addition to investment, Microsoft has participated in and infrastructure development. Microsoft has played a business. We’ll then expand this work with partners in three stewardship events to plant nearly 2,000 native catalytic role in this project with a one-to-one match on China, Malaysia, and South Africa. flowers and harvest seed. contributions from the philanthropic community, as well as paving the way for eight additional companies, including The Coca-Cola Foundation, Procter & Gamble, and Intel, to make similar investments.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 38 Driving innovation As we worked to establish our water strategy, we quickly Leak detection Digitizing realized we would need to address and overcome several $200M Several organizations in our partner ecosystem have key challenges specific to water data. deployed water solutions focused on leak detection and Water data is often segmented and siloed, both within We will enable nearly mitigation running on Azure. One such partner is Ecolab, water an organization and across multiple organizations $200 million in who is working to reduce water consumption and operating in the same watershed, which makes microfinance loans to increase water recycling, starting with leak detection in managing a shared resource particularly challenging. support water and manufacturing and industrial settings. We believe that Microsoft’s most Water data often lacks context, meaning it is provided sanitation access important contribution to water without an understanding of underlying conditions in projects. the area. This makes it difficult for any single reduction will come not from our organization to assess its impact on a water basin, which own work alone, but by helping our in turn complicates or obscures the most impactful customers, partners, and suppliers intervention to address water issues in that area. In addition, water data often suffers from discontinuities, around the world reduce their water where data collection is interrupted due to equipment footprints through our learnings failure or lack of funding for observational networks. The digitizing of water data is about overcoming these and with the power of data, AI, limitations to make water data credible, transparent, and digital technology. useful, and actionable. Measuring quality and consumption Microsoft is developing solutions to help customers understand water-related risks due to climate change, use data to reduce water use, and make smarter decisions about water. In the past year, we’ve launched new solutions accelerators on Azure IoT Central that include remote, real-time water quality monitoring and water consumption monitoring, geared toward reducing water consumption. Find out more here Our partner ecosystem has deployed water solutions for leak detection and mitigation.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 39 Driving innovation (continued) 40% Risk assessment The UN estimates global In partnership with Microsoft and S&P Trucost, demand for water will Ecolab offers the Water Risk Monetizer and Smart exceed supply by Water Navigator to businesses and organizations 40 percent by 2030. around the world. The Water Risk Monetizer provides actionable information to help organizations understand water-related risks and quantify them in financial terms to inform responsible decisions that enable growth. This tool is available to the public at: Find out more here The Smart Water Navigator helps companies reduce Optimizing crop yields with IoT sensors. their water usage at a facility level by generating a tailored, industry- and location-specific guide. This Tackling water consumption across information helps facilities reduce water and energy product lifecycle use, and, in aggregate, aids companies in achieving corporate water reduction targets while reducing Unilever continues to grow and evolve its business in a costs. The tools are available to the public at no cost. purpose-driven way to reduce its environmental impact, An updated, integrated version of these tools is improve global health and well-being for 1 billion planned for release in March 2021, which people, and enhance the livelihoods of millions. Unilever will include new features such as context-based and Microsoft have collaborated for many years on new approaches to local water challenges and ways to use digital solutions, from enabling affordable organizational benchmarking. internet access and community engagement to Find out deploying IoT sensors in field crops and manufacturing more here facilities to discover new, actionable insights. This capability has allowed factories to generate new data insights that reduce water wastage in production and ways to optimize crop yields. In addition, Unilever and Microsoft are educating global communities about water quantity and quality to enable everyone to access safe and clean water.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 40 Enabling systems change Driving collective action with Catalyzing the UN and customers $10M Microsoft was a founding member of the Water Resilience Coalition, launched in 2020. It is an initiative Invested $10 million in innovation and of the United Nations Global Compact CEO Water the Emerald Technology Mandate. Initially comprised of seven companies, Ventures' Global Water the coalition has since grown to 18 industry-leading Impact Fund focused on collective action corporations, all of whom have pledged to work emerging water collectively on availability, quality, and accessibility technologies. issues in water-stressed locations. The Coalition is We are focused on new ways to working together to identify priority basins for harness the power of technology, collective action in 2021 and to set targets for improving partnerships, investments, and policy conditions in those basins. to drive impact at scale and pace to Funding innovation via CIF Through our Climate Innovation Fund (CIF), we have help the world more effectively invested $10 million in the Emerald Technology Ventures Perception Reality Engine uses data on rainfall, groundwater, address water availability $100 million Global Water Impact Fund, whose other and plant growth to map water availability. investors also include Temasek, Ecolab, and SKion Water. and accessibility. The fund partners with early-stage to expansion-stage Capitalizing on AI companies from around the world, to drive innovation in Through our AI for Earth program, we are also supporting water technologies and market adoption. It focuses on startups and non-profits capitalizing on the cloud, data, solving key challenges, including water conservation, and AI to accelerate the pace of innovation in water. water efficiency and quality, reduction of carbon Gaining insights into water conditions emissions in water treatment, and climate adaptation. Vector Center utilizes Azure in its Perception Reality This fund is one of the few funds solely focused on Engine to collect, correlate, and analyze water-related emerging water technologies. data to produce an overall picture of what’s happening in a city, region, or watershed in real time. Their unique approach combines state-of-the-art satellite data, social sentiment analysis, and on-the-ground investigative research to deliver focused intelligence, scenarios, contexts, and response strategies about the world’s water, food, and energy supplies in a disruptive era.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 41 Enabling systems change (continued) Assessing agricultural practices with AI Improving water resource management Policy Upgrading water infrastructure The Freshwater Trust and Upstream Tech are using Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability is a Governments play a fundamental role in ensuring the We need governments to invest in upgrading and Azure and AI tools to expand the BasinScout Platform, California non-profit focused on various environmental availability of safe, clean drinking water, maintaining and expanding water infrastructure. This is critical to provide which pinpoints where changes in agricultural justice issues in underserved communities. They are expanding water infrastructure, protecting critical water safe drinking water, treat storm and wastewater, manage management will result in the greatest benefits for working to address the challenge of drinking water ecosystems, and responding to water crises. As part of water levels, and protect against climate impacts, surface water quality and groundwater conditions. Their availability in California’s San Joaquin Valley. Nearly 2 our water positive commitment, we outlined areas in particularly in the most vulnerable communities. approach applies machine learning and water resource million people in the state rely on private domestic wells for which we will advocate, including the following: Integrating water into climate strategies models to satellite/aerial data, available farm drinking water, and many of these wells often fail during Improving data in water-stressed areas Water is the primary means through which climate management and environmental data to assess the drought or due to groundwater management issues. The We will advocate for the development of more accurate change will be experienced. As such, we need potential for improving field-level agricultural practices Leadership Counsel is using AI to predict domestic well and up-to-date assessment of ground and surface water governments to address climate and water challenges and to quantify the impact on water resources. failure resulting from groundwater changes and resulting levels and how they are changing over time. This data in a more integrated way. One way to do this is through Stakeholders can then design scenarios of optimal drinking water shortages. They are providing this can help local stakeholders calculate and forecast the long-term goals that countries set as part of their changes across multiple farms to improve the use of information to affected residents and local, regional, and demand and supply balances, track water quality, national climate plans or Intended Nationally water in a cost-efficient manner. BasinScout Platform has state agencies that can use it to prevent well failure and facilitate disaster prevention and early warning systems, Determined Contributions (INDCs) under the Paris accelerated the process to protect and restore improve water resource management and planning. and ultimately develop innovative solutions. climate agreements. watersheds, as field-scale environmental and economic impact now takes months instead of years; watershed In 2020, we have begun this work by: program planning now takes minutes, instead of months. • Joining WaterEurope, the leading association in Predicting the quality of river water 3,600 Europe focused on technology and innovation aspects SOS Mata Atlântica in Brazil has developed an AI of water, with a focus on digital water. We will use our solution to predict the quality of the water in several The SOS Mata Atlântica voice in the organization to call for improved rivers in the region. The project relies first on 3,600 project in Brazil has collaboration in the water sector, advocating for volunteers mobilized in groups from diverse 3,600 volunteers proper inclusion of water-related topics in EU policies, backgrounds, such as schools, universities, churches, participating to monitor European funding programs, and shared research. scouts, community centers, and others, who monitor water quality. • Supporting the creation of the Common European water quality with a kit. The results are uploaded to Green Deal data space, as part of the European Microsoft Azure, where AI resources are applied, Strategy for Data, that aims to harness the potential of providing more effective and accurate insights. In the environmental data to help achieve the EU’s ambitious future, it will be possible to cross-reference data from climate objectives. different sources, such as public health reports, and to • Encouraging our trade associations and coalitions assess the correlation between water quality and to look for opportunities to support the inclusion of epidemic outbreaks. water infrastructure into COVID-19 recovery packages and foster innovative solutions. We are advocating for improved data in water-stressed areas.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 42 Key learnings Time matters as much as place. Given that the How to take action on water What we’ve 2demand for and the quality and supply of water in your own organization: varies over time, it’s important to account for this temporal variability when tailoring your water learned strategy. For example, if a given location experiences acute scarcity during the summer months or if water quality is exacerbated during Creating credible, transparent, the months when heavy rains typically occur, and trusted platforms for sharing then the interventions you support should reflect this variation. When we established our water data is foundational to availability target, we considered annual baseline functioning ecosystems. water stress as well as monthly baseline water stress and while it will be challenging, we will strive to inform our replenishment work with this nuance. Explainer video: Learn how to Get inspired by our create a water Water is local and your commitments should Water data is too little, too late. Water data, strategy. quality monitoring be too. While carbon is a global pollutant and especially water quality, often is not available, Find out application in 1 emission reduction and removal projects can be 3if it is available at all, until it is too late to inform more here Azure IoT. sourced anywhere, water is a local resource and real-time adjustments. It also is often siloed, Find out commitments to improve water conditions need making it difficult to generate and share Water Risk Monetizer: more here to align spatially with where your facilities are meaningful insights that inform management use this free tool, built using or sourcing water. This requires building decisions. And the lack of widely used water- by Microsoft and Learn how to awareness of the water context where you climate scenarios hinders the ability to make Ecolab, to assess the create a water operate, as well as being able to source projects long-term planning investments. Remedying this true value of water and consumption that are informed by that context and that will by creating credible, transparent, and trusted risk exposure you face. monitoring improve conditions in those locations. Building platforms for sharing water data is particularly Find out application in up this local awareness and these partnerships, critical, especially for a resource that cuts across more here Azure IoT. and working with groups like the Water Resilience multiple sectors and is foundational to Coalition to facilitate and expedite this work, functioning ecosystems. Find out will be crucial for driving impact that is WRI Aqueduct Tool: more here meaningful and relevant. understand the local water stress and scarcity concerns where you operate. Find out more here
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 43 What΄s next? Sourcing replenishment projects that drive Our focus 1 collective action and have transformative impact for 2021 in our priority locations. Enabling drinking water and/or sanitation 2access for 140,000 people by the end of FY21 through our partnership with Water.org. Creating new tools: 3• Hosting the next generation of global climate projections so that the World Resources Institute and its partners can generate future water projections, thereby enabling water- climate scenario analysis and enhancing understanding of future water risks. • Supporting the development of an enterprise- scale water stewardship self-assessment tool in partnership with the CEO Water Mandate. • Working with our partners to build new tools or accelerate the deployment of existing tools, such as BasinScout Platform, to empower our customers to achieve their water goals. Improving the usefulness of our water 4consumption data. Using our Emerald Technology Ventures 5investment to identify technology adoption opportunities for emerging water technologies from our Climate Innovation Fund that can help Microsoft achieve our water positive commitment and support our customers. Identifying adoption opportunities for emerging water technologies.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 44 “ Waste is Contents almost purely Our approach 45 Getting to zero waste 48 synonymous with Driving innovation: Digital 51 opportunity.” tools for circularity Enabling systems change 53 Dr. Lucas Joppa, Chief Environmental Officer Key learnings 55 What’s next? 56
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 45 Our approach The context Every year, the world collects 11 billion tons of waste, Our progress to date Overview according to the United Nations Environment Programme. Waste, including plastics, e-waste, and food waste, pollutes our land, clogs our waterways, depletes natural resources, and contaminates the air we breathe. We recognize the urgent need to protect the world’s ecosystems, give equal access to a healthy environment, meet the needs of a growing population, and reduce the carbon emissions that come from the creation, distribution, and disposal of waste. Moreover, we see incredible economic and environmental benefits of taking a circular approach to materials management, which reduces waste and keeps products and materials in use. There’s a big opportunity to unlock a “triple We are accelerating the transition to a circular economy. bottom line“ with circularity—delivering societal, environmental, and economic benefits. Accenture Strategy predicts a $4.5 trillion market for circular Collaborated with Ellen MacArthur We will reduce as much waste as we economy business models by 2030. Foundation network members Microsoft aims to unlock these opportunities via our to develop Circular Business Zero 60K create across our direct operations, commitment to change our operations, drive innovation, to Business Transport Achieved Zero Waste Certification In FY20, we diverted more than products, and packaging— and invest in new solutions that accelerate the transition Packaging Solutions. of datacenters in Dublin, Ireland 60,000 metric tons of the solid to a circular economy. In the third quarter of 2020, and Boydton, Virginia. waste otherwise headed to becoming zero waste by 2030. we established our new waste commitments. landfills and incineration from Find out our campuses and datacenters. more here $30M Invested $30 million in Closed 90% Loop Partners’ funds to accelerate Successfully piloted our first recycling and composting Microsoft Circular Center in 10,500 infrastructure, innovation, and Amsterdam, which shows Circular Engaged 10,500 employees business models for supply chain Centers can contribute to in Ecochallenges to reduce digitization, e-waste collection, increased reuse of servers by personal waste footprints. food waste reduction, and 90 percent by 2025. recycling industry products to build a more circular economy at scale.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 46 Our approach (continued) Our waste Investing in the future “ Zero waste is an ambitious commitments of circularity goal, but minimizing our We will partner with companies own waste footprint is By 2030, Microsoft will be around the world to drive circular essential to preserving zero waste across our direct economy innovation and adoption waste footprint. of technologies to reduce waste and the natural resources and reuse materials and products. reducing carbon emissions Transforming waste accounting to ensure our economies We will improve waste data collection and societies around the to ensure auditability and reporting. world thrive for generations Making fully recyclable to come.” Surface devices Eliminating single-use plastics Brad Smith, President We will manufacture Surface devices that are 100 percent recyclable in By 2025, we will eliminate single-use Organization for Economic plastics in all Microsoft primary Cooperation and Development product packaging and all IT asset (OECD) countries by 2030. packaging in our datacenters. Driving to zero waste Increasing reuse of servers in operations and components through We will reduce as much waste as we Circular Centers create across our direct operations, By 2025, 90 percent of servers and products, and packaging. components within our regional datacenter network will be reused.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 47 Our approach (continued) Table 1 Table 2 $4.5 90% or more diversion 90% reuse of servers and of general waste by 2030 components in DCs by 2025 92% trillion Diversion 90% rate The market for 75% 79% Diversion Diversion circular economy rate rate business models will 100% be $4.5 trillion by 2030. 90% 74% 80% FY19 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 90% % waste generated (metric tons)10% 0% FY19 FY20 84% Landfill Incineration Reuse FY20 Recycling Compost - - - 10% diversion threshold Reuse rate Target Driving technologies to reduce waste and reuse materials and products.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 48 Zero waste Our focus on waste reduction initiatives began in 2008, Getting to when our facilities implemented single-stream recycling and composting across our Puget Sound offices and 50% dining services. Half of daily cooking zero waste Since then, we’ve hosted certified zero waste events, fuel at our Bengaluru like our Hackathons. Microsoft’s Puget Sound campus, Ferns site in India comes our largest campus and accounting for nearly half of from biogas made To meet our commitment to being our global facilities floor area, has been zero waste from food waste. zero waste by 2030, we are looking certified since 2016. at our waste footprint in facilities This commitment spans the globe. In India, our Bengaluru Ferns site installed a biogas plant, which uses and datacenters, launching our anaerobic digestion (also called a biodigester) to break 90% innovative Circular Centers, cutting down and recycle 1,430 pounds of food waste each day, turning it into biogas. It creates enough biogas for half Our target to divert waste in our devices, and engaging of the site’s daily cooking fuel needs. At our sites solid waste from our employees. around the world, we have implemented zero waste landfills and incineration best practices, including ensuring proper signage and is 90 percent. education materials to increase awareness of how to properly dispose of waste and reduce waste contamination in order to minimize our impact on the environment. Zero waste facilities We are committed to diverting at least 90 percent of the solid waste headed to landfills and incineration from our campuses and datacenters. In addition, as we continue to grow, we will achieve, at a minimum, 75 percent diversion of construction and demolition waste for all projects. Some of our largest campus projects to date have shown exemplary performance in this area. On our campus in Israel, we demonstrated a 77 percent diversion rate and in Silicon Valley we achieved a 96 percent diversion rate. Our campus modernization project in Puget Sound is currently demonstrating a 95 percent diversion rate as we continue our construction process. In 2020, we also achieved Zero Waste Certification at our datacenters in Dublin, Ireland Our Puget Sound campus has been zero waste certified since 2016. and Boydton, Virginia.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 49 Zero waste (continued) Launch of Circular Centers Community engagement To meet the growing demand for our cloud services, our 100% Our programs enable waste reduction and help datacenter footprint—and the 3 million servers and related eliminate the community concept of waste through hardware that power it on an annual basis—must expand. All cloud packaging will mindful inputs and highest-value use of by-products. But we must do this with our sustainability goals in mind, and be reusable, recyclable, Programs include projects such as research into that is more than just reducing the power they consume. or compostable by 2025. decommissioned datacenter battery reuse for Today, these servers have an average lifespan of five years. distributed energy projects, and training computer To better manage this waste stream, Microsoft is increasing vision models to identify types of waste for recycling. control and innovating to create closed loop models. In 2020, we partnered with The Recycling Partnership In 2020, we announced our first-of-its kind approach to build two recycling units at an existing solid waste to repurpose and reuse servers and network hardware drop-off location in Mecklenburg County, Virginia through new Microsoft Circular Centers, which will be where residential recycling services are currently limited. located on every new major datacenter campus. Using This project will allow residents to recycle plastic, glass, intelligent scheduling via Dynamics 365, these centers aluminum, steel, cardboard, and mixed paper, and will process servers on-site through a variety provide public education for residents and operational of reuse routes working in close collaboration with training for county staff. datacenters, key suppliers, and partners. Already, we are up and running in Amsterdam. We have Repurposing and reusing seen increased availability of server and network parts Extending circularity in datacenters servers and hardware for reuse and producer returns. We reduced downtime to packaging through Microsoft and transportation miles, extended the lifecycles of Given the number of components coming through our Circular Centers. servers in use, and demonstrated savings linked to spares datacenters, in 2020 we launched our new Microsoft and repairs. We are seeing a 70 percent increase in value Cloud Responsible Packaging Goals for 2025. These return for components that we are processing through guide our work on IT asset transportation packaging our new disposition routes. We are also seeing an at our datacenters. Our goals include: increased flexibility and new opportunities for end-of- life processing working with our partners. • All packaging will have a minimum of 50 percent The Circular Centers are an integral part of our design- recycled content. for-sustainability workstreams, providing a responsive • 100 percent of all cloud packaging will be reusable, feedback flow of information, with learnings linked to recyclable, or compostable. reuse, disassembly, reassembly, and recycling shared • Single-use plastics will be eliminated in all IT asset with our design and supply chain teams to inform future packaging in our datacenters. sustainable generations of equipment. We are expanding from our pilot in Amsterdam to our Virginia, • Packaging weight will be reduced by a minimum Sweden, and Dublin sites. The Circular Centers will of 10 percent from a December 2020 baseline. contribute to and increase our reuse of servers and components up to 90 percent by 2025.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 50 Zero waste (continued) Cutting waste in devices Achieving EPEAT Gold for key Surface products “ No one person or Waste reduction The sustainability of our devices begins with their design, EPEAT, managed by the Green Electronics Council, is Our Employee Waste Data Dashboard, introduced in including what our devices are made of, how they are the leading global ecolabel for the IT sector that awards organization can solve 2020, provides Microsoft employees with transparency made, and their lifespan. For more information, see the points based on sustainability categories such as product the global waste problem. to the Puget Sound campus monthly waste data. It also Devices Sustainability Report: substance management, materials selection, and enables us to test effectiveness of waste reduction Find out packaging. Microsoft has achieved the highest possible It will take all of us doing campaigns, implementation of waste prevention more here rating, EPEAT Gold, for the Surface Laptop 3, Surface Pro our part, including using initiatives, and more. X, Surface Go 2, Surface Pro 7+, and Surface Laptop Go Gamifying behavior change in the US and Canada. better data to understand Ecochallenges provide our employees with the 100% recyclable Surface the problem and opportunity to learn and practice habits that support We set a new target to reach 100 percent recyclable them on their personal zero waste journey. In 2020, we Surface devices by 2030. Today, our assessment found make smart waste launched two: Surface Pro X and Surface Book 3 (15”) both achieved a policy decisions.” • Our LinkedIn Ecochallenge lasted three weeks in honor recyclability rating of 95 percent. In 2021, we’ll integrate of Earth Day 2020. Over 2,000 employees participated, our new innovations, technologies, and learnings from resulting in 7,500 plastic bottles not sent to landfill, our most recyclable products to the rest of our products. Brad Smith, President nearly 250 trees planted, and almost 220,000 pounds Solving packaging problems of carbon saved. Our target is 100 percent recyclable • The Microsoft Ecochallenge lasted 19 days in New research on circularity packaging by 2030 and elimination of November 2020. Nearly 8,500 employees participated, We partnered with KPMG to measure the circularity of single-use plastics by 2025. The resulting in nearly 20,000 plastic containers not sent to our Surface devices and their packaging. The work recyclability of our packaging landfill and almost 1,300 pounds of waste composted. explored how we could and should measure circularity, portfolio was 88 percent and plastic how our devices measure up to those methodologies constituted 7.7 percent of our The collective learning and ongoing behavior changes today, how we should set targets for improvement, and packaging material use at the end from the ecochallenges, if maintained over a year, could how to assess impact. Circular Transition Indicators (CTI) of FY20. For Surface devices lead to significant impact, including nearly 280,000 results provided us with ranked opportunities to increase specifically, the recyclability of plastic bottles and over 380,000 plastic containers not the circular inflows and outflows for our products. Top our packaging was 95 percent. sent to landfill, nearly 25,000 pounds of waste opportunities include increasing the recycled content We are developing programs composted, over 4,200 trees planted, and close to of aluminum in our device enclosures and resins used to drive to 100 percent 4 million pounds of carbon saved. Microsoft worked in components. by 2030. with Ecochallenge.org, an easy-to-adopt platform for any organization. Engaging our employees We recognize that our employees are our biggest asset in advancing innovation in our journey to zero waste and we have created opportunities to enable them to contribute to our efforts, while reinforcing the principle that individual action leads to collective impact.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 51 Driving innovation Today, there is no consistent, high-quality data about Serving as customer zero Digital tools the amount of waste, the type and quality, where it is In 2020, we worked with our e-waste vendors to convert generated, and where it goes. 60K monthly e-waste data Microsoft Excel reports into Waste data needs a standardized methodology, better In FY20, we diverted real-time, chain-of-custody API reporting with Power BI for circularity transparency, and higher quality. Without more accurate more than 60,000 dashboards. We’re transitioning e-waste data across our data, it’s nearly impossible to understand the impact of metric tons of the company to this format, from the technology provided operational decisions, what goals to set and how to solid waste otherwise to employees to the IT assets in datacenters. In our We believe that Microsoft’s most assess progress, or to set an industry standard for waste headed to landfills and Circular Centers, we will scale up the use of AI to process important contribution to waste footprint methodology. incineration from our servers and hardware that are being decommissioned We are investing to digitize waste data across the campuses and on-site. Our packaging team is using Dynamics 365 to reduction will come not from our company in FY21 to identify opportunities to improve datacenters. manage its data, which acts as a data aggregator, with own work alone, but by helping our waste data collection, both for ourselves and for our the ability to pull and push data to and from other tools. customers. We plan to use technology to track and When linked with Power BI, the system has delivered a customers, partners, and suppliers report on waste, using Power BI platforms to visualize step change in our ability to manage data and reporting. around the world reduce their waste e-waste chain-of-custody, and improving Microsoft Blockchain for circularity footprints through our learnings and Power Apps to capture real-time waste data. Blockchain can provide a secure and stable account of with the power of data, AI, and Already, in 2020, we΄ve put our technology to work data across enterprises. It also works well as a solution for ourselves and our customers. to track materials over a full supply chain, which is digital technology. necessary to reduce waste and bolster a circular economy. One organization using blockchain to support their work is the Madaster Foundation. Using Microsoft technologies, the Madaster Platform functions as a public online library of materials in the built environment. It links the identity of materials and products to a location and registers the information in a material or building passport. Through the passport, materials keep their identities, changing every building into a depot of materials with a certain value. We are transitioning e-waste data to Power BI dashboards.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 52 Driving innovation (continued) Data and insights in recycling Colchester Borough Council provides services to 192,500 HoloLens and AI to capture residents, from licensing to recycling. The Council is using plastics in waterways Dynamics 365 to unify its data, like the recycling tracking To tackle the increasing problem of river system that provides reporting via Power BI, showing data pollution, DEME has installed a Marine like heatmaps of problem spots for collections or where Litter Hunter on the river Scheldt on behalf residents need more encouragement to recycle. of De Vlaamse Waterweg. The project consists The insights derived from Power BI close the loop for of a fixed installation that passively collects development, providing KPIs that help the Borough floating and suspended waste from the water improve both the app and recycling services to improve and a mobile system that actively collects landfill diversion rates. bigger pieces of waste. This includes a smart IoT to cut food waste detection system, a work boat that can A new platform, Alsense, entered the market in 2019, navigate autonomously, and a charging point. driven by a Danfoss and Microsoft collaboration. Floating waste is detected using artificial The new cloud-based service solution is powered by intelligence by smart cameras. Azure and provides retailers with new ways to manage The work boat intercepts waste and pushes it to operations. Action can be taken quickly to prevent a collection pontoon, where a crane equipped temperature changes and avoid inefficient energy usage. with a grab transfers the waste into a container. This will lead to reduced food waste and a more energy The crane is operated remotely by an operator efficient supermarket. using virtual reality and 3D vision technology using Microsoft HoloLens. By reducing the Improving circularity with AI amount of macro plastics in the rivers, Chase and Microsoft are jointly building a traceable De Vlaamse Waterweg will prevent them waste treatment system. Microsoft AI and cloud from affecting the ocean and marine life. technologies are helping Chase digitize its industrial waste process and tracing. Using Azure, Microsoft AI, and IoT solutions, Chase is able to manage its business, from dispatch and garbage collection to sensors that capture the weight and composition of bin contents. The data is used for a wide range of scenarios including flagging improper bin contents to prevent potential quality risk in developing renewable products. Chase has noted that Microsoft has inspired them to become a waste management-as-a-service company, providing smart circular economy solutions and creating comprehensive, transparent, and safe service offerings. Reducing plastics in waterways with HoloLens.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 53 Enabling systems change Collaborating on innovation Catalyzing We kickstarted an Ellen MacArthur Foundation network project with Aquafil, BASF, CHEP, Cisco, and Flex to create $30M an alternative circular supply chain packaging solution to Invested $30 million innovation and replace the existing linear plastic-based shrink/stretch in Closed Loop Partners' wrap material used to stabilize and protect products in funds to help build transit. The volume of business-related packaging is a circular economy collective action significant, as are its environmental impacts. Most of the at scale. difficult-to-recycle non-consumer packaging waste is comprised of single-use plastic, contributing to the 6.8 We are focused on new ways to million tons of plastic waste sent to landfill each year. harness the power of technology, Co-innovation in material alternatives and redesigning packaging ecosystems, including the transportation of partnerships, and investments to packaging and improvements in the wider collection, drive impact at scale and pace to sorting, and plastic recycling infrastructure, are urgently needed to reduce this waste stream and progress help the world more effectively towards circular supply chains. transform to a circular economy. Funding innovation Our Climate Innovation Fund combines economic opportunity with benefits to wider society and the environment. We have invested $30 million in Closed Loop Partners΄ funds to accelerate infrastructure, innovation, and business models for supply chain digitization, e-waste collection, food waste reduction, and recycling industry products to build a more circular economy at scale. Creating alternative circular B2B packing solutions.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 54 Enabling systems change (continued) Investing in AI Machine learning to prevent ocean plastics Through our AI for Earth program we are supporting startups and non-profits using cloud, data, and The Ocean Cleanup is known worldwide for its AI to accelerate the pace of innovation in waste, innovative efforts to rid the ocean of plastics. It has including the following projects: also started focusing on eliminating plastics at major Citizen science + AI = waste reduction sources—rivers— before they reach the sea. The Sustainable Coastlines Charitable Trust is using Azure organization deployed plastic-removal technology in and AI tools to enhance its groundbreaking Litter rivers in Indonesia and Malaysia to remove plastics, Intelligence program, enabling communities around and a key aspect of this work was figuring out how to Aoeteroa, New Zealand to collect litter data, gain insights, identify the waste that was floating down the river—is and take action for a litter-free world. The non-profit it plastic or other material? For two Microsoft global hosts its citizen science technology platform and Learning Hackathons, in 2018 and 2019, team members in Management System on Azure, while scaling and Redmond and from around the world worked with improving data quality by deploying machine learning The Ocean Cleanup to build a machine learning techniques and computer vision to train its litter model to help quantify the amount of plastic pollution classification and count model. Litter Intelligence has flowing down rivers en route to the ocean. established the country΄s first official marine litter Subsequent models were then developed to replicate database, and for the first time is enabling citizen science the process on cameras mounted to drones and ships to be used at the highest levels of government reporting. crossing the ocean, and a blueprint for cloud computing infrastructure was created to help the Computer vision to detect waste project in the future. Recycleye has developed a computer vision system that replicates the power of human vision to identify every item in waste streams, using AI to automate waste sorting and improve recycling. The organization recognized the huge issue of waste management and the importance of accelerating the transition towards a circular economy. It is using deep learning and AI advancements with a low cost, rapidly deployable, decentralized, scalable, and fully automated sorting solution which can be deployed inside waste management facilities. Their goal is to create waste removal chains that are just as efficient as today΄s supply chains, bringing transparency, accountability, and traceability to the waste management industry. The Ocean Cleanup focuses on efforts to rid the ocean of plastics.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 55 Key learnings Material science and data science are better How to get started on waste What we’ve 2together. Our ambition is to improve our waste data in your organization: to make more informed decisions about design, reuse, and disposition. As we’ve improved our learned accounting, we have been reminded at nearly every Microsoft Try the Ellen turn that without improvement and innovations in Sustainability Guide: MacArthur material science, progress will be much slower. For Guidance on how Foundation Material The presence of waste in any system example, we’ve greatly improved our quantification companies can get Circularity Indicator, requires a closer look—including and tracking of single-use plastics in Microsoft started in a a tool we use as well. We need to identify the next best use to optimize materials. packaging and suppliers’ IT asset packaging in our technology-led, Find out creativity, systems thinking, data datacenters. However, to continue to make progress sustainable more here science, and material science. towards eliminating single-use plastics in our transformation. Creativity kills waste. Examine any waste stream packaging, some of our solutions will require a Find out Run an ecochallenge and it will reveal stories of unrealized value and material replacement that can meet or exceed more here to give your employees 1 products that weren’t designed with end-of-life necessary functional requirements. Selecting the opportunity to in mind. And, if you look a bit closer, you’ll also sustainable material alternatives requires material Sustainability. Good learn and practice see a grand opportunity. When we looked at the science to ensure that the materials will circulate for Business. Executive habits that support quantity and quality of electronic equipment within existing waste management infrastructure Playbook: A way for them on their personal leaving our datacenters to be responsibly and, if mismanaged, not end up as pollution in the companies to begin or zero waste journey. refurbished or recycled by our partners, we environment. By using both material science and accelerate their work realized that most of this hardware, or a subset data science, we can solve waste and pollution on sustainability. Find out of its components, still had significant value and problems, not create new ones. more here could be reused at least once before being Find out recycled. We recognized the opportunity to more here Find out where and apply creativity and systems thinking to the Next best use needs to move from theory to how to recycle your problem and intervene in an existing system with 3practice. To keep products and materials circulating in Learn more about our Microsoft devices, the use of our Circular Centers, which are on-site the economy, we need the ability to efficiently identify Circular Centers. courtesy of Microsoft. reuse and repurposing facilities at our the next best use so we can optimize materials and Find out Find out datacenters. Applying this solution allows us to limit adverse environmental impacts, like carbon more here more here retain the value of our hardware for longer and emissions. Right now we lack a principled approach also introduces a feedback loop to share the on how to consistently consider the next best use of Build a connected Achieving Operational learnings from disassembly with our designers products and materials across our business. We waste application in Zero Waste: An inside so we can continue to extend the useful life and believe technology can benefit our decision-making Azure IoT Central. look into Microsoft's improve disassembly moving forward. process by modeling disposition options and related operational zero environmental impacts, then recommending next Find out waste journey. The presence of waste in any system requires best use based on a principled approach that aligns more here a closer look, and with creativity and systems with current theories of waste reduction, like the Download thinking in mind. Waste Hierarchy of Highest and Best Use. here
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 56 What΄s next? In 2021, we will continue to make progress Our focus 1 towards our zero waste by 2030 agenda and share results and learnings from our journey. One key area that we are focused on now is the for 2021 transformation of our waste accounting using a mix of technology and “boots on the ground“ tactics, like waste auditing. We look forward to sharing more details of our transformation, as customer zero, later this year. We will deepen our involvement in building 2an ecosystem of partners and suppliers to reduce single-use plastics in consumer and transportation packaging. Our critical work with Ellen MacArthur Foundation network members will focus on shrink wrap/film in transportation packaging. We will also continue to scale our work with our cloud supply chain to quantify and identify alternatives to plastic waste shipped into Microsoft’s datacenters. Our datacenters will roll out a global initiative 3to train employees on company-wide and site-specific procedures to operationalize zero waste. We will continue to identify opportunities within our consumer devices to transition to circular models and utilize recycled and renewable materials. We are mapping opportunities to an effort and impact graph to chart the next phases of our journey. We will continue to partner with our suppliers 4to run a series of feasibility tests to determine if recovered ocean plastics can be processed and used in Microsoft products. We are transforming waste accounting using technology.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 57 “ Only when we have a Contents Ecosystems massive amount of Our approach 58 planetary data and Taking responsibility for 60 compute can we begin our land footprint to answer the complex Driving innovation: Building 61 question—how do we the Planetary Computer manage the Earth΄s natural Enabling systems change 63 Key learnings 67 resources to ensure a What’s next? 68 climate-stable future.” Dr. Lucas Joppa, Chief Environmental Officer
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 58 Our approach The context Overview Nature, and the benefits that it provides, are the Our progress to date foundation of our society, cultures, and the global -87% economy. We depend on well-functioning ecosystems for clean air, water, food, medicine, energy, and building Wetlands that purify materials. But these very ecosystems are threatened or and store water already in decline. When a species dies off, the and provide habitats for implications for the ecosystem can be catastrophic. thousands of species One critical barrier to protecting our ecosystems is our have been reduced by current understanding of them. We know more about 87 percent relative to the rate of decline than we know about the species, pre-industrial levels. biodiversity, and ecosystems that are vital to our health and prosperity. Simply understanding where the world’s forests, fields, and waterways are remains a daunting Ecosystems are threatened or in decline. task of environmental accounting. There is very little scientific data on what species call those ecosystems home and why they thrive or decline. Scientists around the world are making tremendous We will aggregate environmental progress collecting this data and answering key 700 Protect questions. However, when the work is done, it frequently Grew the AI for Earth community to Established partnerships with The data from around the world takes too long—the assessments that do this work are over 700 AI for Earth grantees in more Nature Conservancy and the National and put it to work through data, thousands of pages, cite tens of thousands of scientific than 100 countries around the world, Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fulfill AI, and technology with the sources, and take years to publish. Assessing the planet’s including 17 strategic partnerships with our commitment to protect more land health must become a more sustained, efficient, and key platforms using the Azure cloud than we use by 2025. Planetary Computer. integrated practice that allows us to understand exactly to provide conservation and what is happening over time. sustainability services. Fortunately, there is massive potential for technology to revolutionize our environmental assessment practices, so Supported passage of the Great they can be conducted faster and cheaper, and—for the American Outdoors Act, which first time—be able to operate at a truly global scale. Microsoft directly advocated for Find out 10PB throughout the legislative process. more here On-boarded 10 petabytes of environmental and Earth observation data to Azure that is now freely available for use by the conservation community.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 59 Our approach (continued) Our ecosystem commitments In 2020, we established new goals around ecosystems. -60% Mammals, birds, and other Use our voice on ecosystem- wildlife populations are related public policy issues down almost 60 percent We will support and advocate for public in the last 40 years. policy initiatives that measure and manage ecosystems at the national Table 1 and global scale. Protect more land than we use by 2025 Build a Planetary Computer Empower partners and customers 100% We will aggregate environmental around the world 90% data from around the world and We will use the Planetary Computer to develop 80% put it to work through computing and deploy the digital technology that helps 70% and machine learning in a new our partners and customers with environmental 60% Planetary Computer. decision-making in their organizational activities. Land protection (%)50% 40% 30% Take responsibility for 20% our land footprint 10% We will take responsibility for the 0% ecosystem impacts of our direct FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 operations by protecting more land Targeted land protection than we use by 2025. Current land use Projected land use
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 60 Protecting ecosystems Taking Changing land use and land cover Our commitment “ We must work together is the most significant driver of In 2020, we committed to permanently protect to determine how we and restore more land than we use company-wide maximize the benefits that responsibility terrestrial biodiversity loss by 2025, using approaches like land acquisition, Previously, we have worked to address our land use conservation easement, national park creation, and nature provides to people impacts on a site-by-site basis in our campus and community or indigenous-led conservation. While for our land datacenter work. This is perhaps most visible in our we do not have a particularly large footprint, while minimizing the Silicon Valley campus rebuild, where, to help restore Microsoft does directly operate on approximately environmental harm of Stevens Creek, we’ve planted nearly 600 trees, 11,000 acres of land globally—that’s equal to about footprint installed a three acre green roof, and created a three-quarters the size of Manhattan in New York our activities. It won’t be landscape that mimics pre-development biodiversity. City. We’ll protect and restore land in partnership easy, but it is possible if with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) globally and To meet our commitment of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) we put the pieces together.” protecting more land than we in the United States. We will use science and data to prioritize protecting Brad Smith, President use by 2025, we are partnering ecosystems most at risk, using TNC’s newly launched with global organizations that last chance ecosystem framework and the NFWF’s can guide our data and science- national landscape conservation framework. driven approach to prioritizing the protection of ecosystems most at risk. 11,000 Prioritizing the protection of ecosystems, guided by data and science. Microsoft operates on 11,000 acres of land globally.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 61 Driving innovation AI for Earth: a global program and the of large datasets, then present those results in We have on-boarded four years of Landsat 8 data to Building the precursor to the Planetary Computer applications that support environmental monitoring, Azure, the first step in making available a complete In 2017, we launched our AI for Earth program. forecasting, planning, and attribution. Landsat archive that will enable scientists to ask Our aim was simple, but ambitious—to put cloud Since we announced our commitment to the Planetary questions about long-term ecosystem change. Planetary and AI technology into the hands of the world’s Computer, we have on-boarded over 10 petabytes of • The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration leading ecologists and conservation technologists, environmental science data from dozens of sources. (NOAA), which provides invaluable information about and organizations around the world that are working Some key examples include: weather and climate from a network of monitoring Computer to protect our planet. • The Sentinel-2 satellite program, which provides the stations that includes both satellites and ground-based So far, we’ve provided over 700 grants to organizations highest-resolution satellite imagery that’s available radar stations. We have on-boarded several key NOAA working on game-changing environmental innovations to the public at no cost. We have brought four years datasets to allow scientists to build a picture of We believe that Microsoft’s most in more than 100 countries around the world. Our AI for of Sentinel-2 data to Azure and processed it to an weather and climate, including weather forecast data important contribution to protecting Earth grantees authored more than 80 research papers analysis-ready format, allowing environmental from NOAA’s GFS4 system, historical estimates of as part of the program and have released over 50 GitHub scientists to ask questions about the state of land use, global precipitation from NOAA’s Global Hydro ecosystems and biodiversity is repositories to the open-source community. forests, glaciers, and other critical landscape features. Estimator program, historical surface weather delivering the Planetary Computer, conditions from NOAA’s Integrated Surface Data Find out • Landsat 8, which is the newest satellite in the Landsat program, satellite-based weather imagery from which provides access to the world’s more here program, a network of satellites that has been NOAA’s GOES-R weather satellites, and radar data critical environmental datasets, However, as we grew the program, we also learned what continuously monitoring the Earth since 1972. from NOAA’s NEXRAD program. AI, and digital technology. gaps still existed. Researchers needed much greater • Large-scale geospatial data, which is critical for access to data, more intuitive access to machine learning environmental science, but training the next tools, and a greater ability to share their work and build generation of AI-based biodiversity monitoring on the work of others. We recognized the need not only 700+ solutions requires lots of annotated wildlife monitoring to host datasets on the cloud, but also to build the data. In partnership with conservation biologists scaling infrastructure that would make it possible for the We’ve worked to empower around the world, we’ve assembled on Azure the sustainability community to work with that data: data over 700 organizations largest publicly available collection of AI-ready curation, computational platforms, the ability to train through our AI for training data for wildlife conservation including algorithms and run them at planetary scale, and the Earth program. data from motion-triggered camera traps, drones, ability to serve the results of those algorithms as satellites, and aircraft. applications available to users anywhere in the world. Find out more here Our new focus: the Planetary Computer 80 Based on these lessons learned, in 2020, we committed to building the Planetary Computer: a platform that Our AI for Earth grantees provides access to the world’s critical environmental have authored more than datasets. We will continuously on-board more data with 80 research papers as part of our customers and partners and build the tools that the program. make it easier for scientists to ask global-scale questions
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 62 Driving innovation (continued) Empowering customers and partners “ Maintaining nature for Delivering geospatial data and Space age intelligence Building the Planetary Computer will take several years, analysis to the world Microsoft and SpaceX announced a partnership that but there is much we can do in the meantime. Already, the benefit of current Esri is the global market leader in geographic would marry the tech leader΄s Azure computing system with Azure IoT and AI, we have tools and services to help information systems (GIS). Microsoft and Esri share the with the space company΄s Starlink satellite internet customers around the world understand the ecosystem and future generations goals of making geospatial data and analysis—meaning service. Through Starlink, SpaceX plans to use thousands around them today as it exists, monitor and model is one of humanity’s the gathering, display, and manipulation of information of satellites that will provide high-speed internet changes from climate or human behavior, and manage about Earth systems—available to every sustainability anywhere on Earth. Microsoft Azure will connect those these in a way that protects biodiversity, their greatest challenges. researcher and practitioner around the world, and satellites to cloud storage. Conservation biologists across community’s well-being and way of life, and the planet. Deploying technology ensuring that every conservation organization can the world are tasked with the protection of biodiversity We announced and enhanced partnerships in 2020 that contribute its local data back to that global repository. in remote areas that lack cellular connectivity. Starlink will help us do so, including the following: to support this global From mapping forest loss to combating elephant opens a completely new potential mechanism to address Supporting scientific organizations poaching, organizations depend on Esri’s tools and these connectivity issues, not just making monitoring CSIRO, Australia΄s national science agency, signed effort is one of ours.” expertise to understand and protect the ecosystems in more efficient, but also allowing the deployment of a partnership agreement with Microsoft to harness which they operate. We are already working with Esri to biodiversity monitoring networks at previously artificial intelligence and other digital technologies Brad Smith, President on-board key satellite datasets to Azure, and we will impossible scales. to accelerate critical research and ambitious projects make sure that every user of the Planetary Computer has targeting advances in areas including illegal fishing access to the vast repository of critical datasets in Esri’s prevention, removing plastic from rivers, and Living Atlas of the World. smarter farming. Starlink satellite internet service and Azure provide conservation biologists with connectivity.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 63 Enabling systems change Investing in AI Measuring biodiversity Catalyzing Our AI for Earth grantees show how AI can drive 92B In April 2020, we announced a new AI for Earth exponential scale. A few that have pushed boundaries collaboration with the Group on Earth Observations this year include the following: Microsoft Azure and Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON). This innovation and Closing the gap to real-time biodiversity surveys high-resolution satellite $1 million Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) on the NOAA΄s Alaska Fisheries Science Center and UW- imagery was used to cloud grant program was launched to help advance CICOES are working with Microsoft on training AI tools count 92 billion trees efforts to monitor Earth’s biodiversity and create useful collective action to distinguish a beluga whale’s call from a dredging in the US. measurements required for the study, reporting, and machine’s squeak, to better understand how human management of biodiversity change that inform noise might be related to the lack of recovery for this conservation decisions across the globe. In October 2020, We are focused on new ways to endangered and declining population. This type of data we announced five winners that will receive financial allows scientists to devise strategies to reduce negative support, as well as access to resources from Microsoft and harness the power of technology, effects from increased human activity in the whales΄ Esri. These projects include: mapping Belize’s coastal and partnerships, investments, and policy habitat. Machine learning is achieving more than 96 marine ecosystems, detecting change in essential to drive impact at scale and pace to percent accuracy in classifying detections compared to biodiversity for citizen science initiatives, improving a more traditional approach, and even picking up things mapping accuracy of mountainous ecosystems, creating help the world protect ecosystems human analysts miss. The model can also process a large open source tools to analyze bioacoustics data, and and biodiversity. amount of data very quickly—moving datasets from two combining data sources to assess EBVs. weeks of processing and manual classification to Advancing forestry and sequestration measurement completing a batch of six months of sound recordings Accurate forest inventories are an essential tool for in just two days. Distinguishing whale calls conservationists, governments, and landowners who seek with AI. to promote ecological, social, and economic health. Microsoft has worked with SilviaTerra to accelerate their cutting-edge approach to precision forestry, and radically increase the scope, efficiency, and resolution of forest inventories. They produced the first ever comprehensive forest map of the US, covering every acre of the contiguous US and accounting for almost 92 billion trees. SilviaTerra applies this annually-updated data to predict carbon sequestration on each forest parcel, bringing to market a new gigaton-scale supply of forest carbon credits. They are also working to explicitly measure co-benefits such as wildlife habitat, water yield, and fire risk reduction. Microsoft is also supporting SilviaTerra΄s work by purchasing carbon credits generated by their pilot project.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 64 Enabling systems change (continued) Indigenous knowledge plus AI Maps of natural resources The Healthy Country partnership in Kakadu National With support from Esri, The Nature Conservancy, Park is a pioneering program that is mixing responsible and Microsoft΄s AI for Earth program, AI and science with Indigenous knowledge to solve NatureServe has created a comprehensive set of complex environmental management problems and habitat models for over 2,200 at-risk species in the care for animal species and habitats. The partnership is contiguous United States, including those ranked part of the National Environmental Science Program as Globally Critically Imperiled or Globally (NESP)΄s Northern Australia Environmental Resources Imperiled, or those listed as full species under Hub. It brings together Kakadu Traditional Owners and the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Analyzed in indigenous rangers, CSIRO, Microsoft, Parks Australia, conjunction with boundaries of protected areas, the University of Western Australia (UWA), and Charles these data support mapping areas of high Darwin University (CDU). Under the direction of biodiversity importance—an invaluable input Indigenous Traditional Owners and rangers, drones to guide effective conservation decision-making. capture video footage in Kakadu National Park. The data is collected, labeled, and interpreted using a combination of Indigenous knowledge, Microsoft AI, data visualization, and scientific research. The models allow rangers to regularly survey large areas that are difficult to access and remove the need for people to review thousands of hours of video. The Healthy Country AI project represents an end-to-end solution to support adaptive co-management. Guiding conservation decision-making with habitat models for at-risk species. Chris Lukhaup
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 65 Enabling systems change (continued) Advancing policy Already, we’ve seen our advocacy play a meaningful role Governments play a unique and important role in in policy solutions, including: $9.5B measuring and managing ecosystems and biodiversity • The release in 2020 of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for Great American as they collect and make publicly available massive 2030 in Europe, which Microsoft supported and will Outdoors Act provides amounts of data critical to environmental science. They continue to engage on, as key initiatives under the funding for the Land also own billions of acres of public land that they can use strategy are expected in 2021. The strategy aims to and Water Conservation to protect, manage, and restore critical ecosystems. And increase protected areas across the EU, and to identify Fund and $9.5 billion they establish and implement policies governing the use new measures for managing and restoring ecosystems. over five years for and management of natural resources and ecosystems. A dedicated “Biodiversity Partnership” will link National Parks. As part of our 2020 commitment, we will act on policy researchers and practitioners, and support data-driven by calling for: research to stop the loss of biodiversity. • National ecosystem assessments which help • The Great American Outdoors Act, which Microsoft governments understand what is happening in a directly advocated for and publicly supported during country’s natural environment and what actions are the legislative process, and which was passed and needed to safeguard critical ecosystem services. enacted into law in 2020. The Act has two main • Infrastructure to accelerate measuring and monitoring components: fully and permanently funding the Land of ecosystems, including digital tools and broadband and Water Conservation Fund at $900 million per year, connectivity to help collect, integrate, and make and providing $9.5 billion over five years to address publicly available data and real-time insight into the maintenance backlogs at US National Parks. health of our ecosystems. • The Trillion Trees Initiative, which was unveiled at the • Public land and water conservation, including World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2020. The US Chapter government funding for the acquisition and was launched in the third quarter of 2020 by WEF and maintenance of land and water for conservation, American Forests and was bolstered by a presidential recreation, and natural preservation. executive order to establish a high-level US interagency council. Microsoft serves on the Steering • Public-private partnerships that encourage and Committee of the initiative and submitted one of the facilitate investments by non governmental initial corporate pledges. We have been working with organizations, individuals, and the private sector the organizers on ways to design the initiative to protect and restore critical ecosystems. in a way that accelerates reforestation and verifiably removes carbon. Governing the use and management of natural resources and ecosystems.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 66 Enabling systems change (continued) Scaling through new partnerships “ It΄s what we all do OS-Climate together that will In Q3, Microsoft joined Allianz, Amazon, and S&P Global as initial founding members of OS-Climate, a new make the difference.” initiative hosted by the Linux Foundation to help close the $1.2 trillion annual gap in investment urgently Dr. Lucas Joppa, Chief Environmental Officer needed for decarbonization and climate resilience. OS-Climate is a collaborative, member-driven, non-profit platform for developing open data and open source analytics to enable climate aligned investing, finance, and business by resolving the major barrier of costly, poor quality, highly fragmented data, and a lack of analytic tools. The initiative serves not only the finance community but also governments, companies, NGOs, and academia. Microsoft has already begun sharing its relevant sustainability data to advance modeling and understanding of climate change impact on businesses, as well as contributing new solutions accelerators focused on ESG reporting and risk management. One Planet Business for Biodiversity Microsoft joined One Planet Business for Biodiversity (OP2B), an international cross-sectorial, action-oriented business coalition on biodiversity with a specific focus on The Trillion Trees Initiative, unveiled at the WEF. agriculture, launched at the United Nations Climate Action Summit in 2019. The coalition is determined to The signatories are committing and acting to restore and We’re one of the founding organizations working with drive transformational systemic change and catalyze protect ecosystems, and through this call, advocate for C4IR Ocean on its Ocean Data Platform. This global, action to protect and restore cultivated and natural governments to work together and create a positive open-source platform gives data scientists, app biodiversity within the value chains, engage institutional policy feedback loop. developers, and marine spatial planners access to data and financial decision-makers, and develop C4IR Ocean coming from historic and real-time data sources to and promote policy recommendations for the In the third quarter of 2020, Microsoft joined the World develop solutions for a healthy and productive ocean. 2021 CBD COP15 framework. Economic Forum’s Center for the Fourth Industrial 1 Trillion Trees Business for Nature Call to Action Revolution Network for ocean innovation and Microsoft joined the 1t.org pledge in 2020 with Microsoft joined 560 other companies in September technology in Norway (C4IR Ocean). C4IR Ocean is commitments and policies that grow and conserve trees, as 2020 in signing the Business for Nature Call to Action, dedicated to using data, technology, and governance well as activities that support forests. Launched in January urging governments to adopt policies now to reverse frameworks to protect the world’s oceans and increase 2020, 1t.org is a 10-year effort to support the UN Decade on nature loss in this decade. the sustainability of ocean-based industries. Ecosystems Restoration from 2021 to 2030, which aims to conserve, restore, and grow one trillion trees by 2030.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 67 Key learnings Fifteen years is too long. Ecosystems are declining How to get started on ecosystem and What we’ve 2at an alarming rate, and the volume of data that biodiversity work in your organization needs to be collected and analyzed to quantify that decline is daunting: the 2019 Global Assessment learned Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services was nearly five years in the making, and was published nearly 15 years after its predecessor, the Millennium We need to accelerate the collection Ecosystem Assessment. Waiting this long before the and collaborative analysis of next assessment would be disastrous; reporting needs to be continuous, not limited by long cycles ecosystems data through AI and of annual conferences and funding bottlenecks. machine learning, so scientists all Consequently, we need to accelerate the collection of ecosystems data through AI and machine over the world can work on a learning (letting conservation researchers spend common platform. less time annotating data, and more time planning conservation), and accelerate the collaborative analysis of ecosystems data through cloud-based tools that make global data available, so scientists all over the world can work on a common platform, The skills gap is real. In many cases, the barrier reducing the time required for communication Hear Dr. Lucas Joppa preventing environmental scientists from using and iteration. discuss the Planetary 1 the scale of the cloud isn’t technical, it’s expertise Computer. inertia. Climate and Earth science has developed The world needs building blocks. Microsoft is at Find out on local computing infrastructure at universities, our best when we’re building horizontally rather more here and if we want to provide that community with 3than vertically, putting in place the fundamental the ability to serve their work globally and use tools that support our customers and partners Check out the Learn how to be a part the cloud for collaboration, we have to lower that who are studying natural systems and guiding explainer video on the of AI for Earth. barrier, and we can’t ask the community to climate policy. Consequently, our role won’t be Planetary Computer. Find out become cloud infrastructure experts. building all the applications and AI models that more here Consequently, we need to double down on the are necessary to accelerate environmental Find out education component of our AI for Earth grants more here program, and we need to provide simplified sustainability, but putting in place the data, Explore how you can computing infrastructure for the Earth sciences models, APIs, and open-source examples that access geospatial data that abstracts away the details of managing cloud allow the sustainability community to work at and AI with Microsoft computing and lets scientists focus on science. peak efficiency. That’s why we’re investing in our and Esri. Planetary Computer, a platform that will bring Find out together conservation scientists and practitioners more here around common tools that accelerate their work.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 68 What΄s next? Our focus Build our open-source Planetary Computer tools, which will simplify access to large 1 datasets and powerful computing resources for 2021 for the environmental science community. Expand our data hosting program to 15 key 2environmental datasets that will power Planetary Computer solutions. Work with our land protection partners 3to identify the specific areas of land that Microsoft will safeguard, and initiate land procurement and protection. The Planetary Computer will simplify access to datasets and computing resources.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 69 Contents Appendix A – Commitments 70 A – Partnerships 71 A – How we report 72 B – Our environmental 73 data C – Materiality 82 D – Governance 85 E – Policy 91 F – Assurance 95
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 70 Appendix A Commitments Our history 2012–2019 Our commitments 2020–2050 2030 Become 2025 carbon negative Find out more here Operate with 100% 2012 2016 2017 2018 2019 renewable energy 2030 2050 Find out more here 100% carbon neutral Zero-waste campus AI for Earth launch Supplier carbon Carbon fee raised to $15 Become zero waste Remove all Internal carbon fee certification LEED Gold certification engagement in China Water replenishment Find out historical emissions instituted for new datacenters launched goal set 2025 more here Find out Net zero potable water more here Silicon Valley campus Protect more groundbreaking land than Microsoft uses 2030 Find out more here Become water positive Find out more here
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 71 Appendix A (continued) Partnerships Memberships Recognitions Founding member of Transform to Net Zero, with eight leading Just 100: For the third year in a row, Microsoft took first place on The 2020 organizations with aim to accelerate corporate transition to net zero. Just 100, a list by Just Capital and Forbes to rank companies perceived as Find out “the best at doing right by America”. more here Find out more here Founding member of Water Resilience Coalition, which will provide EcoAct Dow Sustainability Rankings: Microsoft was rated as the highest tools and guidance to improve water resiliency. performing company across all indices within the CAC 40, Dow 30, FTSE 100, Find out and IBEX 35. more here Download here Founding member of Climate Finance Foundation to help model climate risks. Named to CDP A List for Climate Change and Water Security for 2020. Find out more here Find out more here Partner to Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Oceans (C4IR) EPA Green Power: Microsoft won the top award for Sustained Excellence to develop technology-based solutions to improve ocean health. in Green Power Use, for its green power commitment, focus on innovation, Find out and sustained commitment to direct project engagement. more here Find out more here Ellen MacArthur Foundation With members of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, we developed America΄s Most Responsible Companies 2021: Microsoft was ranked third a group on Circular Business to Business Transport Packaging Solutions. by Newsweek΄s assessment of companies across leading ESG areas. Find out Find out more here more here
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 72 Appendix A (continued) Our policies and practices Governance Additional information How we We work to apply the power of technology to earn and Microsoft has made sustainability part of its business, We regularly publish progress on our work on sustain the trust of the customers and partners we including embedding it deeply into its governance environmental sustainability, as well as our larger empower and the communities in which we live and structure. The Microsoft Board is engaged in oversight CSR work. This year’s CSR report can be found here: report work. This focus extends to our work to build a of climate-related risks and opportunities, and sustainable future where everyone has access to the management is fully engaged in assessing and Download our benefits and opportunities that technology can bring. managing risks and opportunities. Additional 2020 CSR Report Reporting standards It’s central to our mission to empower every person and information about our governance structure for Previous reports can be found here: GRI: Microsoft works to align our corporate social organization to achieve more, and it΄s why many of our sustainability can be found in Appendix D as well responsibility (CSR) commitments and reporting to employees come to work every day. as in our CDP responses. Our Reports hub global standards. We inform our CSR reporting using Working together with stakeholders Read more the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability We know that the decisions we make affect our Appendix D Our Sustainable Devices FY20 report can be found here: Reporting Standards. employees, customers, partners, shareholders, suppliers, TCFD and SASB: Microsoft is committed to fully aligning and communities, and we take their voices into account. Forward-looking statements Microsoft Devices Sustainability Report FY20 with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate- Microsoft receives input from millions of people each This report includes estimates, projections, and other related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and the year—from individual customers to policymakers and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Our yearly data sheet, with greater detail on our Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) global human rights specialists. We bring outside Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, section emissions and impacts, is in Appendix B: standards. We adapted these frameworks, where perspectives into the company and inform our business 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and section 21E of the necessary, to map them to our current operations, decisions through a variety of feedback channels. We go Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking Read more programs, and processes as they relate to climate risks beyond formal channels, proactively engaging with key statements generally are identified by the words Appendix B and opportunities assessment and management with stakeholders, advocacy groups, industry experts, CSR “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” Our current year CDP responses on Climate and Water, the intent to publish our disclosure in 2021. rating agencies, CSR-focused investors, and many others. “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” both named to the A List, can be found here: SDGs: We΄re actively engaged in supporting the UN We also share our learnings and practices thereby “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and publicly generating industry dialogue, informing public debate, likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking Read our CDP response report how Microsoft contributes to the global effort and advancing greater progress. statements are based on current expectations and on Climate to achieve them. More information on this year’s report assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties Read our CDP response can be found here: Identifying material issues that may cause actual results to differ materially. on Water Our CSR materiality assessment reflects input gathered We describe risks and uncertainties that could cause Our commitment to from our stakeholder engagement processes, actual results and events to differ materially in our sustainable development consultation with Business for Social Responsibility and reports filed with Securities and Exchange Commission. other external experts, and consideration of the impact We undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly of our core businesses. any forward-looking statements, whether because of In 2020, Microsoft conducted a new materiality new information, future events, or otherwise. assessment with a focus on environmental sustainability, which can be accessed in Appendix C. Read more Appendix C
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 73 Appendix B Our Table 1 Greenhouse gas emissions (mtCO e) 2 environmental FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 1,2 107,452 99,008 117,956 118,100 Scope 1 data Scope 2 – Location-based² 2,697,554 2,946,043 3,557,518 4,102,445 1,2 139,066 183,329 275,420 228,194 Scope 2 – Market-based As part of Microsoft’s commitment Scope 3 – Purchased goods & services3,5 4,090,000 4,120,000 4,190,000 4,050,000 to disclose information about our Scope 3 – Capital goods3,5 1,670,000 2,230,000 2,180,000 2,750,000 environmental footprint, the tables 5 Scope 3 – Fuel- and energy-related activities (Location-based) 540,000 550,000 650,000 770,000 on pages 73–81 are a compilation 5 Scope 3 – Fuel- and energy-related activities (Market-based) 89,000 110,000 170,000 180,000 of environmental indicators 3,5 50,000 50,000 100,000 100,000 Scope 3 – Upstream transportation including our greenhouse gas 5 700 500 1,100 800 Scope 3 – Waste emissions, energy consumption, 1,4 419,020 461,787 476,457 329,356 Scope 3 – Business travel 2,5 water consumption and discharge, Scope 3 – Employee commuting 343,000 345,000 411,000 317,000 2,5 and waste. Scope 3 – Downstream transportation 85,000 98,000 57,000 44,000 Scope 3 – Use of sold products2,5 4,103,000 4,230,000 3,753,000 3,025,000 Scope 3 – End-of-life of sold products2,5 31,000 18,000 18,000 17,000 Scope 3 – Downstream leased assets 700 1,700 800 4,600 6 11,128,000 11,947,000 11,751,000 11,164,000 Total – Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 1 Included in carbon neutral boundary. For Scope 3 business travel, only emissions from air travel are included. 2 Emissions calculations have been adjusted to include methodology improvements and/or structural changes, which have been applied to all years reported in this factsheet. 3 The emissions calculations for these categories have been adjusted to include latest supplier emissions reported through CDP Supply Chain. 4 Business travel now incorporates emissions from hotel night stays, rail travel, taxi, mileage reimbursement, and rental cars. Previously reported years have been adjusted to reflect these emission sources. 5 The reported emissions for this category represent an estimate based on broad-based assumptions and have therefore been rounded. 6 Scope 2 and 3 market-based emissions included in this total. Total rounded to nearest thousand mtCO e. All reported values represent best available data at the 2 time of publication. Data is adjusted to incorporate updated methodology, structural changes, and/or minor corrections. Additional detail on these changes is included as footnotes where applicable.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 74 Appendix B (continued) Through CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Table 2 Project) we have voluntarily reported our carbon footprint since 2004 and our water footprint since Greenhouse gas emissions normalized by revenue (mtCO e/M$) 2012. Please see our CDP submission for more 2 detailed information. FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 The greenhouse gas, energy, and water data in our Scope 1 1.1 0.9 0.9 0.8 CDP filings and this report represent 100 percent of Microsoft’s global operations and revenue. The data Scope 2 – Location-based 27.9 26.7 28.3 28.7 in this factsheet includes the integration of LinkedIn Scope 2 – Market-based 1.4 1.7 2.2 1.6 following our acquisition of this group in 2016. To allow meaningful year-over-year comparisons, Scope 3 – Business travel 4.3 4.2 3.8 2.3 we have adjusted our data for previous years to reflect this integration. This factsheet also reports both location and market-based Scope 2 emissions, per the World Table 3 Resources Institute Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scope 2 Energy use (MWh) guidance. Location-based emissions represent the physical emissions from local energy production, FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 while market-based emissions represent emissions Total energy use⁷ 6,756,779 7,781,383 9,249,361 10,757,166 from choices related to electricity supply and products. For Microsoft, market-based emissions take into Electricity⁷ 6,344,700 7,357,636 8,744,834 10,244,377 account more than 10.2 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of 7,8 412,078 423,748 504,527 512,788 Other fuels renewable energy attributes that we purchased as part Renewable energy usage 6,104,758 7,357,636 8,744,834 10,244,377 of our 100 percent renewable energy commitment. Renewable energy credits and power purchase agreements 6,104,340 7,357,235 8,744,247 10,244,059 On-site renewable energy 418 400 587 318 Percentage of renewable electricity 96% 100% 100% 100% 7 Values have been adjusted to include methodology improvements and structural changes, which have been applied to all years reported in this factsheet. 8 Other fuels include natural gas, LPG, diesel, jet fuel, district heating, and chilled water.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 75 Appendix B (continued) Table 4 Table 6 12 Carbon neutrality (mtCO e) Waste generation (metric tons) 2 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 GHG emissions within carbon neutral boundary9,10 573,871 652,282 781,345 612,927 Reused 325 40 1,325 3,016 Offsets purchased 573,871 652,282 781,345 612,927 Recycled 17,077 11,200 48,364 47,542 Net GHG emissions within carbon neutral boundary 0 0 0 0 Composted 5,920 5,883 8,397 10,069 Percent of total GHG emissions balanced by carbon offsets9 100% 100% 100% 100% Landfilled 2,047 1,602 12,063 15,870 9 Represents the value prior to historic benchmarking due to acquisitions and methodology changes. Incinerated 690 342 7,563 566 10 Carbon neutral boundary includes global Scope 1, Scope 2 market-based, and Scope 3 business air travel. Hazardous waste (included in the categories above) 2,188 1,405 14,534 9,469 Recycled hazardous waste (included in the categories above) 2,122 1,376 7,280 9,461 Table 5 12 FY19 and FY20 now encompass global data across Microsoft’s direct waste footprint, including estimates where needed. Currently only data captured from our largest office 11 campuses is included as part of our limited assurance verification. As we continue improving our waste accounting, our reported values may change. Values currently exclude waste Water metrics (m³) from construction and demolition. FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 Water withdrawals 5,148,454 6,718,985 7,505,081 7,618,089 Water consumption 1,912,934 3,325,664 3,945,783 3,966,639 Water discharge 3,235,520 3,393,321 3,559,298 3,651,450 11 In FY18 we adjusted our water data collection methodology to include more accurate datacenter withdrawal estimates. FY17 withdrawal estimates were not retroactively adjusted. 50% of the change from FY17 to FY18 is from the methodology adjustment, and the other 50% is from organizational growth. We also began estimating water consumption in FY18, backfilling FY17 using the same estimation methodology. Values have been adjusted to include methodology improvements and structural changes, which have been applied to all years reported in this factsheet.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 76 Appendix B (continued) Additional Table 7 Greenhouse gas emissions (mtCO e) 2 environmental FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 Scope 1 – CO 82,448 81,263 95,667 96,700 2 indicators Scope 1 – CH4 45 45 50 53 CH emissions – Asia 5 4 3 4 4 CH emissions – Europe, Middle East, Africa 16 15 26 28 4 CH emissions – Latin America 9 9 5 5 4 CH emissions – North America 16 17 16 16 4 Scope 1 – N O 248 261 256 236 2 Scope 1 – HFCs 24,710 17,408 21,951 21,070 Scope 1 – PFC – – – – Scope 1 – SF 13 – 32 32 41 6 Scope 1 – Asia 9,699 6,483 7,330 8,650 Scope 1 – Europe, Middle East, Africa 44,873 41,276 57,957 61,719 Scope 1 – Latin America 6,260 6,173 3,919 3,871 Scope 1 – North America 46,620 45,076 48,750 43,859 Scope 2 – Location-based – Asia 439,035 528,277 691,772 804,567 Scope 2 – Location-based – Europe, Middle East, Africa 399,194 519,058 681,743 860,858 Scope 2 – Location-based – Latin America 20,968 23,450 25,403 15,707 Scope 2 – Location-based – North America 1,838,358 1,875,258 2,158,601 2,421,314 Scope 2 – Market-based – Asia 121,930 174,533 266,725 219,416 Scope 2 – Market-based – Europe, Middle East, Africa 14,460 7,301 7,463 7,376 Scope 2 – Market-based – Latin America 2,053 751 632 594 Scope 2 – Market-based – North America 623 744 600 808 CO Intensity – Scope 1 + Scope 2, Location (mtCO e/MWh) 0.42 0.39 0.40 0.39 2 2 13 In FY18 we began estimating SF leakage at datacenters. ₆
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 77 Appendix B (continued) Table 8 Table 9 14 Carbon offsets Other emissions (metric tons) FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 Percent of total scope 3 GHG emissions balanced 3% 3% 3% 2% NO emissions 223 209 215 202 by carbon offsets x NO emissions – Asia 13 6 7 7 Potential for carbon trade based on recent performance No No No No x NO emissions – Europe, Middle East, Africa 152 145 144 137 x NO emissions – Latin America 25 24 16 16 x NO emissions – North America 33 34 49 41 x SO emissions 13 13 12 12 x SO emissions – Asia 2 1 1 1 x SO emissions – Europe, Middle East, Africa 7 7 7 7 x SO emissions – Latin America 1 1 1 1 x SO emissions – North America 3 3 4 4 x VOC emissions 199 184 185 170 VOC emissions – Asia 10 3 5 5 VOC emissions – Europe, Middle East, Africa 148 141 133 124 VOC emissions – Latin America 24 23 15 16 VOC emissions – North America 17 16 32 26 PM emissions 7 7 8 8 CO emissions 1,860 1,704 1,721 1,584 Ozone depleting substances 1,330 1,116 579 415 14 Values have been adjusted to include methodology improvements and structural changes, which have been applied to all years reported in this factsheet.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 78 Appendix B (continued) Table 10 Table 11 Other emissions normalized by revenue (metric tons/M$) Electricity consumption (MWh) FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 NO emissions 0.0023 0.0019 0.0017 0.0014 Total electricity consumed 6,344,700 7,357,636 8,744,834 10,244,377 X SO emissions 0.00014 0.00011 0.00010 0.00009 Electricity consumed – Asia 682,713 804,024 1,066,033 1,225,534 X CH emissions 0.0005 0.0004 0.0004 0.0004 Electricity consumed – Europe, Middle East, Africa 971,073 1,265,961 1,654,384 2,102,486 4 Electricity consumed – Latin America 90,929 106,936 117,222 113,456 Electricity consumed – North America 4,599,985 5,180,715 5,907,195 6,802,901 Non-renewable electricity purchased & consumed – Asia 204,937 – – – Non-renewable electricity purchased & consumed – Europe, Middle 17,391 – – – East, Africa Non-renewable electricity purchased & consumed – Latin America 3,603 – – – Non-renewable electricity purchased & consumed – – – – – North America Non-renewable electricity by source – coal 42,746 – – – Non-renewable electricity by source – petroleum 34,058 – – – Non-renewable electricity by source – natural gas 148,643 – – – Non-renewable electricity by source – nuclear 484 – – – Electricity consumption normalized by revenue (MWh/M$) 66 67 69 72
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 79 Appendix B (continued) Table 12 Table 13 15 Renewable energy consumption (MWh) Other energy consumption (MWh) FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 Renewable energy purchased & consumed – Asia 466,243 804,024 1,066,033 1,225,534 Total non-renewable energy purchased & consumed 412,078 423,748 504,527 512,788 Renewable energy purchased & consumed – Europe, 941,343 1,265,961 1,654,384 2,102,486 Non-renewable energy purchased & consumed – Asia 34,096 20,440 21,975 24,877 Middle East, Africa Non-renewable energy purchased & consumed – 187,087 177,234 266,221 287,890 Renewable energy purchased & consumed – Latin America 85,935 106,936 117,222 113,456 Europe, Middle East, Africa Renewable energy purchased & consumed – North America 4,611,239 5,180,715 5,907,195 6,802,901 Non-renewable energy purchased & consumed – 23,996 23,239 13,977 13,906 Renewable energy purchased & consumed – wind 5,974,762 6,919,601 7,742,416 8,588,040 Latin America Renewable energy purchased & consumed – landfill gas – – – – Non-renewable energy purchased & consumed – 166,899 202,835 202,354 186,116 North America Renewable energy purchased & consumed – biomass 61,029 47,129 2,347 – Non-renewable energy purchased & consumed – coal – – – – Renewable energy purchased & consumed – hydro 33,174 186,434 309,873 440,834 Non-renewable energy purchased & consumed – natural gas 107,687 110,863 196,644 218,557 Renewable energy purchased & consumed – geothermal – 72,000 461,586 409,511 Non-renewable energy purchased & consumed – 164,324 152,915 152,034 147,297 Renewable energy purchased & consumed – solar 35,795 132,472 228,612 805,992 crude oil/diesel Non-renewable energy purchased & consumed – 43,402 50,378 47,437 40,450 LPG/propane/jet fuel Non-renewable energy purchased & consumed – gasoline 46,996 44,604 43,474 43,000 Non-renewable energy purchased & consumed – chilled water 30,121 52,775 52,937 51,026 Non-renewable energy purchased & consumed – 19,549 12,213 12,002 12,458 hot water/steam Scope 3 – Category 3 (transmission and distribution losses) 510,000 600,000 730,000 850,000 Scope 3 – Category 13 (downstream leased assets) 1,700 4,100 1,900 11,200 15 Non-electricity.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 80 Appendix B (continued) Table 14 Table 14 3 16 3 16 Water (m ) Water (m ) (continued) FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 Total water withdrawals 5,148,454 6,718,985 7,505,081 7,618,089 Total water discharges – municipal treatment 3,235,520 3,393,321 3,559,298 3,651,450 Water withdrawals – municipal supply 4,931,662 6,291,706 7,032,580 7,085,228 Water discharges – Asia 551,142 626,965 658,101 600,280 Water withdrawals – surface water – – – – Water discharges – Europe, Middle East, Africa 521,107 467,731 591,370 735,168 Water withdrawals – ground water 16,517 29,140 34,495 15,636 Water discharges – Latin America 66,714 48,201 43,339 35,416 Water withdrawals – salt/brackish water – – – – Water discharges – North America 2,096,557 2,250,423 2,266,487 2,280,586 Water withdrawals – rain water 90,622 103,550 104,148 89,115 16 For more information on our water data, please see our CDP Water response at www.cdp.net. Water withdrawals – process water 109,653 294,589 333,858 428,110 Water withdrawals – Asia 972,666 1,244,256 1,482,174 1,532,830 Water withdrawals – Europe, Middle East, Africa 710,744 850,909 1,115,579 1,433,632 Water withdrawals – Latin America 93,291 114,575 113,885 108,617 Water withdrawals – North America 3,371,753 4,509,245 4,793,443 4,543,009 Total water consumption 1,912,934 3,325,664 3,945,783 3,966,639 Water consumption – municipal supply 1,775,047 3,127,918 3,715,190 3,650,118 Water consumption – surface water – – – – Water consumption – ground water 2,927 4,020 3,449 1,564 Water consumption – salt/brackish water – – – – Water consumption – rain water 25,308 29,833 30,042 24,780 Water consumption – process water 109,653 163,893 197,102 290,177 Water consumption – Asia 421,525 617,291 824,073 932,550 Water consumption – Europe, Middle East, Africa 189,636 383,178 524,209 698,464 Water consumption – Latin America 26,577 66,374 70,546 73,201 Water consumption – North America 1,275,196 2,258,821 2,526,955 2,262,423
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 81 Appendix B (continued) Table 15 Verification FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 Scope 1 – GHG emissions Yes Yes Yes Yes Scope 2 – location-based GHG emissions Yes Yes Yes Yes Scope 2 – market-based GHG emissions Yes Yes Yes Yes Scope 3 – business air travel GHG emissions Yes Yes Yes Yes Scope 3 – GHG emissions from all categories No No Yes Yes Total energy consumed Yes Yes Yes Yes Total electricity consumed Yes Yes Yes Yes Total renewable electricity consumed Yes Yes Yes Yes Total offsets purchased Yes Yes Yes Yes Total water withdrawals Yes Yes Yes Yes
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 82 Appendix C Materiality— Approach and process In 2020 we worked with an external agency to carry out identifying a materiality assessment, following a six-step process: what matters Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Our material issues articulate what Identifying issues Refining the list Understanding Scoring the issues Prioritizing the Validating the We initiated our We carried out research internal and We applied issues outcomes matters most to our business and materiality assessment to refine the long list of external prioritization criteria We prioritized We held a workshop our stakeholders. This awareness by identifying a long list issues for stakeholders stakeholder and weighting to the Microsoft’s key issues that included the of potentially material to consider and rank. perspectives results of our using two parameters: company’s is crucial to identify and manage topics by using the Our research comprised Next we conducted a stakeholder interviews • The importance environmental our risks and opportunities, expertise of our an assessment of recent series of internal and and surveys to support of each issue to sustainability experts, external agency, media and social media external interviews issue scoring. stakeholders. including the Chief and to respond effectively to relevant sustainability conversations related to and surveys with key Issue scoring also Environmental Officer, our stakeholders. frameworks (including the environment, as stakeholders to gain included inputs from • The importance where the group GRI and SASB), as well well as relevant trends their perspectives on our external agency of each issue on reviewed, refined, and as Microsoft’s business and emerging issues. top issues. based on their industry business success. ultimately affirmed the and sustainability knowledge, best materiality results. mission and priorities. The stakeholders were practice, and selected based on their expectations. expertise and knowledge of Microsoft’s business.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 83 Appendix C (continued) Environmental Materiality 1 Air quality Sustain/communicate Prioritize 2 Ecological impacts matrix 3 W aste and hazardous materials management 4 W ater and wastewater We used the results of our management 5 E nvironmental policy or materiality assessment to generate management system and a sustainability materiality matrix. compliance 6 Climate change risk 10 The outcomes of the materiality 7 T ech solutions for societal challenges s r 6 9 assessment reflect environmentally- e d 8 8 Energy management l 12 o 7 focused material topics from across h 17 19 9 GHG emissions e k a 16 18 our value chain that consider social 10 Product lifecycle impacts t s and governance aspects of Social to 5 ce n 4 13 environmental performance. 11 Climate misinformation a t r 12 S upplier’s environmental and o 14 p 3 While the placement of issues on climate performance Im 2 the matrix provides insight into our 13 Environmental and climate justice 20 priorities, the relative importance of 14 Just transition an individual issue often differs by 15 Employee activism 1 Governance 15 business unit, geographic location, 16 R esponsible sourcing 11 and stakeholder group. of raw materials 17 Compliance 18 Public policy engagements 19 Responsible product innovation 20 Risk and opportunity management Monitor, comply, manage Continue internal efforts Importance to business success
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 84 Appendix C (continued) Material topic Location in this report Other location Material topic Location in this report Other location Materiality Air quality We intend to report Public policy engagement Carbon – Enabling on this in the future. systems change Water – Enabling topic index Climate change risk Appendix D – systems change Governance Ecosystems – Enabling systems change As the focus of this report is Climate misinformation We intend to report Responsible product Carbon – Driving Microsoft Devices on this in the future. innovation and use innovation Sustainability Report on Microsoft’s environmental Water – Driving FY20 Compliance Environmental innovation sustainability strategy and our Compliance Waste – Driving four focus area commitments, innovation Ecological impacts Ecosystems – Taking Ecosystems – Driving our materiality topic index provides responsibility for our innovation links to this report or other land footprint Microsoft documents where Employee activism Waste – Getting Responsible sourcing Microsoft Devices to zero waste of raw materials Sustainability Report you can access the most detailed FY20 information for each material topic. Energy management Carbon - Getting to Risk and opportunity Appendix D – carbon negative management Governance Environmental and Carbon - Getting to Supplier environmental Carbon - Getting to Microsoft Devices climate justice carbon negative climate performance carbon negative Sustainability Report FY20 Environmental policy Carbon - Getting to or management system carbon negative Tech solutions for Carbon – Driving and compliance societal challenges innovation Water – Driving innovation GHG emissions Carbon - Getting to Waste – Driving carbon negative innovation Ecosystems – Driving Just transition Carbon - Getting to innovation carbon negative Waste and hazardous Waste – Getting Microsoft Devices Product lifecycle impacts Carbon - Getting to Microsoft Devices materials management to zero waste Sustainability Report carbon negative Sustainability Report FY20 FY20 Water and wastewater Water – Getting management to water positive
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 85 Appendix D Key area Description of work Source location Governance Board oversight • The charter for the Regulatory and Public Policy Committee of our Board of Directors includes the Download of climate risks responsibility to provide guidance to management on environmental matters. here • Climate change is included under the umbrella of “environmental sustainability,” and therefore this Committee is responsible for reviewing and providing guidance on the company’s climate-related policies and programs. • The Regulatory and Public Policy Committee meets three times a year with a varied agenda including updates on the company’s commitments to environmental sustainability, climate, and renewable energy procurement. • Our President and Chief Legal Officer (CLO), together with our Chief Environmental Officer, presents to this Committee on these topics, including climate change, as appropriate. Senior • The President and Chief Legal Officer (CLO) is responsible for our Corporate, External and Legal Affairs (CELA) Download management group, which monitors climate-related issues and the company’s progress toward climate objectives. here • Our Chief Environmental Officer leads our corporate Environmental Sustainability team, leading our * italics denotes new assessment and overall environmental sustainability vision, strategy, and program execution. disclosures not included managing risks • Our Carbon Program Manager, part of the Environmental Sustainability (ES) team, leads Microsoft’s carbon in 2020 CDP Response and opportunities mitigation efforts, which include energy efficiency, renewable energy, carbon offsetting, identification of additional energy and carbon reduction opportunities, and assessment and management of climate risks. • The charter of the corporate ES team includes assessment and management of issues related to climate change. By focusing on operations, products, partners, and policy, the team strives to reduce our company’s environmental impact while empowering societal change through technology. • For guidance on globally changing dynamics, this team engages with experts around the world, including internal finance, regulatory/policy, technology and environmental professionals, as well as external subject matter experts. • Environmental Compliance and Climate Risk + Resilience (CR+R) Lead, part of the ES team, leads our new CR+R Working Group to oversee our CR+R Plan. The CR+R Working Group holds representation from across the business.* • In FY20, Microsoft established a Climate Council, comprising a number of executives from across the company charged with monitoring climate-related risks and opportunities and coordinating and providing oversight for sustainability initiatives across the organization.*
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 86 Appendix D (continued) Key area Description of work Source location Strategy Climate-related • At a company level, the corporate ES team brings leaders from across the business together to identify which Download risks and short-, medium- and long-term climate risks and opportunities could have substantive financial or strategic here impact on the organization. This is complemented by formal identification and assessment processes. * italics denotes new opportunities • Microsoft Treasury assesses property risks (short-term) annually to value the global property insurance disclosures not included program using industry-standard risk models to estimate the probable impact from hazards like hurricanes, in 2020 CDP Response floods, and fires, each of which may be subject to increasing frequency and severity due to climate change. • The Microsoft Enterprise Business Continuity Management (EBCM) program’s Business Continuity Standard and Service Resilience Standard identify the baseline requirements for implementing business continuity disaster recovery and overall resilience at Microsoft, to help ensure our capability of recovery and preparedness in the event of a major or catastrophic business disruption that affects our ability to meet customer expectations. • At an asset level, business groups within our operating segments have their own processes. • In FY19, we initiated quantitative and qualitative physical (medium-term) and transition (long-term) risk and opportunity assessments for key Microsoft regions. In addition, we are assessing our alignment with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) to ensure we are properly managing these risks and opportunities within our business and adequately planning for the future.* Impact of climate- • The ES team brings leaders from across the company together to align on management decisions to related risks and mitigate, transfer, accept, or control the identified climate-related risks and opportunities. To make decisions * italics denotes new on risk, we use our enterprise risk management (ERM) risk prioritization criteria in the context of business disclosures not included opportunities continuity and service resilience, which include the scope of impact (e.g. reputational, regulatory, and cost), in 2020 CDP Response potential return on investment, and time and resources required to implement changes. • The EBCM program works with the ERM program to ensure consistent alignment among risks and risk prioritization criteria and, ultimately, the final risk ratings. • In FY19, we committed to powering our datacenters with 70 percent wind, solar, or hydropower energy by 2023, and in FY20, we extended that commitment companywide and to 100 percent by 2025. • One method we use to respond to climate-related opportunities is our Sustainability Grants program, which drives climate-related energy and technology innovation; this program awarded more than $10 million in FY19 to projects or programs focused on better managing climate-related business activity.*
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 87 Appendix D (continued) Key area Description of work Source location Strategy Resiliency across • A physical and transition risk assessment was conducted on 400 of Microsoft’s most important facilities. * italics denotes new scenarios for Two scenarios were considered in this analysis: 1) a business as usual scenario where the world warms over disclosures not included 4°C above pre-industrial temperatures; and 2) a 2°C aligned scenario. The analysis quantified, in financial terms, in 2020 CDP Response (continued) organizational the top climate-related risks and opportunities. The analysis quantified climate risk in financial terms by: strategy - Integrating climate and business data from multiple sources including governmental, academic, public, and commercial. - Translating this data into consistent formats mapped onto coherent spatial and temporal grids. - Statistically processing data into probability distribution functions at each point, allowing the hazard data to be coupled to econometric models, producing financial impact curves. - Translating this into financial terms to provide decision-relevant information. The software used has global coverage, spans decadal time periods from 2010 to 2100, and is aligned with the TCFD framework*. • The top 400 Microsoft facilities were included in the analysis—facilities selected for highest value and high-energy consuming sites and covering all geographies. The selection included datacenters, retail stores, offices, and executive suites. • The analysis findings revealed that we may experience significant impacts. These findings warrant that we act now to mitigate the risks, build adaptive capacity, maximize our opportunities, and enhance the resilience and equity of our enterprise and the communities where we live and work. • We are currently assessing the adaptive capacity of our most at-risk facilities to the identified climate risks and identifying opportunities to enhance resilience.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 88 Appendix D (continued) Key area Description of work Source location Risk Identification • Subject matter leadership on climate change risk resides with our Environmental Sustainability (ES) team, Download and assessment led by our Chief Environmental Officer. This team assesses Microsoft’s climate-related physical and transition here risks and opportunities across the business portfolio using quantitative and qualitative scenario analysis, management of climate- along with other risk assessments (including the use of internal company methods). related risks • The results from these analyses are assessed and validated through consultation with subject matter experts across the company and then used to inform Microsoft’s formal, robust, and rigorous enterprise risk assessment process led by the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) program. • The ERM program’s formal risk assessment process is used to assess the size, scope, financial impact, and relative significance of any risk that Microsoft may face, today and into the future, including those related to climate change. • The process involves categorizing risks according to their inherent impact on a scale of 1 (minimal) to 5 (critical) in four categories: trust or reputational; operational scope; legal, compliance, or environmental; and enterprise value. Risks are then rated according to their inherent likelihood on a scale of 1 (remote) to 5 (expected). These two ratings are used to produce an inherent risk score and are then aggregated with a management action/control effectiveness rating for a residual risk calculation. Organizational • The quantitative climate risks analysis focused on seven climate physical hazards (chronic temperature * italics denotes new processes for increase effects on energy demand, extreme temperatures, heat storms or waves, sea level rise, flood intensity, disclosures not included drought frequency, and drought length) in 2030 and 2060 and several transition risks and opportunities in 2020 CDP Response managing (energy efficiency, energy resilience, materials efficiency, renewable price stability, water efficiency, climate risks employee impacts from climate change).* Processes for • To determine our enterprise risks related to climate change, we use our enterprise risk management (ERM) Download identifying, risk prioritization criteria in the context of business continuity and service resilience, which include the scope here of impact (e.g. reputational, regulatory, and cost), potential return on investment, and time and resources assessing, and required to implement changes. managing risks in • An example of a physical risk managed through this process is the risk of facility damage from an acute risk management weather event, such as flooding. To mitigate this risk, the Microsoft Enterprise Business Continuity Management (EBCM) program uses its relevant standards to help ensure the existence of effective, strategy reliable, well-tested plans, systems, and processes during such a disruptive event to support the continuity and resilience of business operations and services and minimize adverse impacts. • The EBCM program works with the ERM program to ensure consistent alignment among risks and risk prioritization criteria and, ultimately, the final risk ratings.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 89 Appendix D (continued) Key area Description of work Source location Metrics Metrics for • From July 2012, we began charging a fee based on the emissions associated with our operations. In FY19 Download assessment of (the reporting period), we applied the carbon fee to Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 business air travel emissions here across the company. As of FY21, the carbon fee will apply to all Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions, with the and targets climate-related Scope 3 fee starting at a lower amount and increasing to meet the Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 business air risks and travel fee over time. Our internal carbon fee isn’t a “shadow fee” that is calculated but not charged. opportunities • Our fee is paid by each division in our business based on its carbon emissions, and the funds are used to pay for sustainability improvements. By charging business groups based on the emissions they generate, we help to drive efficiency initiatives and innovation across our business. The carbon fee affects investment decisions by providing an incentive, the financial justification, and in some cases the funds for climate-related energy and technology innovation. The fee also helps drive culture change by raising internal awareness of the environmental implications of our business and establishing an expectation for environmental and climate responsibility within the company. In FY19, the carbon fee fund was used to support investments in: - 8,741,807 MWh in renewable electricity globally (the US portion of which earned Microsoft the US EPA Green Power Partnership as the number two US purchaser). - Offset purchases in five countries to reduce more than 750,000 mtCO e, preserve forests, and grow the low-carbon economy in developing nations. 2 - Technology innovation projects that formed the basis of our AI for Earth program. - More than 50 internal emissions reduction and energy efficiency projects. Disclosure of • We annually disclose our Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions as part of CDP and sustainability reporting. Download here GHG emissions • We also annually disclose our water consumption as part of our CDP and sustainability reporting. and risks • Through our Reporting Hub, we also disclose our annual data factsheets with environmental indicators covering: (1) greenhouse gas emissions (absolute values and normalized by revenue), (2) energy use, (3) carbon neutrality and greenhouse gas emissions balanced by carbon offsets, (4) water metrics including withdrawals, consumption, and discharge, (5) waste generation, and (6) electricity consumption.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 90 Appendix D (continued) Key area Description of work Source location Metrics Targets to • In FY20, we made a commitment that by 2030 we would be carbon negative, both for our own operations and Find out manage risks and across our value chain, and by 2050 we would remove from the environment all the carbon the company has more here and targets emitted either directly or by electrical consumption since it was founded in 1975. opportunities • To reach our carbon negative commitment, we will invest in a portfolio of negative emission technologies (NETs) potentially including afforestation and reforestation, soil carbon sequestration, bioenergy with carbon capture (continued) and storage (BECCS) and direct air capture (DAC). • We recently announced a target to be water positive in our direct operations by 2030, which will consist of reducing our water-use intensity and replenishing the water we consume through our operations in water-stressed regions.
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 91 Appendix E Policy Date Market Description 04/2016 US Filed amicus brief in support of Clean Power Plan Microsoft supports carbon, clean 04/2016 EU Joined Advisory Board of EU Parliament Network on Energy Solutions energy, and sustainability policy 09/2016 Global Participated in statement in support of Montreal Protocol Amendment to phase out HFCs efforts at the state and national level in the US, the European Union, and 11/2016 Virginia Joined letter to Virginia State Corporation Commission asking for more options to purchase renewable energy elsewhere. The table on pages 91–94 11/2016 Global Attended UN COP22 Climate Meeting in Morocco outlines key sustainability policy and advocacy actions Microsoft has 04/2017 Japan Joined letter to Japanese METI to encourage more renewable energy options taken over the past five years. 05/2017 US Participated in advocacy for US to remain in Paris Agreement 06/2017 US Issued Microsoft statement opposing US exit from Paris Agreement 07/2017 Washington Secured regulatory approval of contract to self supply Microsoft campus with 100 percent zero carbon energy 09/2017 US Filed comments to US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to protest Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) for coal and nuclear bailout 11/2017 Global Participated in UN COP23 Climate Meeting in Germany 11/2017 Ireland Filed comments on design of a new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme in Ireland, issued by the Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment 12/2017 EU Joined letter in support of EU Renewable Energy Directive 01/2018 Washington Testified in support of legislation to establish an economy-wide carbon fee in Washington state 02/2018 Virginia Participated in letter to Virginia Legislature in support of bill to remove restrictions to 100 percent renewable energy purchasing
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 92 Appendix E (continued) Policy Date Market Description 03/2018 Virginia Sent letter to Virginia Governor Northam to adjust new cap on projects qualifying for renewable energy tax credit (continued) 04/2018 US Testified at US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission technical meeting in support of distributed energy resources 05/2018 US Selected as Leadership Circle for US We Are Still In coalition in support of Paris Climate Agreement 05/2018 US Submitted comments to US Department of Energy to protest Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) for coal and nuclear bailout 06/2018 US Filed comments to US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to allow storage and distributive energy resources to participate in wholesale markets (This docket formed the foundation for FERC Order 2222 approved in 2020 which opens wholesale markets to distributive energy resources such as solar panels, batteries, fuel cells) 07/2018 US Joined CERES Business for Innovation Climate & Energy Policy Network 08/2018 California Participated in California Clean Energy Lobby Day 09/2018 California Participated in letter to California Governor Brown to sign direct access bill to allow more choice for renewable energy 09/2018 Washington Advocated for I-1631 to establish an economy-wide carbon fee in Washington state 10/2018 California Testified to California Public Utility Commission on customer choice 11/2018 US Filed comments to US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on pricing of the PJM regional market to reflect corporate renewable energy purchases 12/2018 Global Participated in UN COP24 Climate Meeting in Poland 01/2019 Virginia Joined letter to Virginia Legislature in support of bill to remove restrictions to 100 percent renewable energy purchasing 01/2019 Virginia Participated in Virginia Clean Energy Lobby Day 02/2019 US Joined letter calling on US to ratify Montreal Protocol Amendment to phase down HFCs
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 93 Appendix E (continued) Policy Date Market Description 04/2019 Washington Supported legislation to create 100 percent zero carbon grid in Washington state (continued) 04/2019 US Joined Climate Leadership Council to advocate for a robust federal carbon price 05/2019 Virginia Joined letter to Virginia State Corporation Commission protesting utility’s IRP due to low assumptions for renewable energy and storage penetration 05/2019 US Participated in US Congressional Carbon Pricing Lobby Day 06/2019 EU Joined letter to EU Commission to remove regulatory barriers to corporate renewable energy purchasing across the EU 10/2019 US Submitted comments to US House Energy & Commerce Committee on policies to address climate change 10/2019 Singapore Submitted comments to Singapore National Climate Change Secretariat on low carbon strategy 11/2019 Virginia Joined letter to Virginia State Corporation Commission protesting utility’s renewable energy tariff due to participation restrictions and unnecessarily high cost 11/2019 US Submitted comments to US House Select Climate Crisis Committee on policies to address climate change 11/2019 Global Participated in UN COP25 Climate Meeting in Spain 12/2019 US Joined CEO and labor union letter to reiterate support for Paris Climate Agreement and deepen climate action 01/2020 Virginia Participated in letter to Virginia Legislature in support of bill to remove restrictions to 100 percent renewable energy purchasing 01/2020 Washington/Oregon Joined letter in support of carbon pricing mechanism in the US Northwest 03/2020 Virginia Participated in letter in support of bill that authorizes Virginia to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative carbon pricing mechanism 04/2020 EU Joined the European Alliance for a Green Recovery in support of including climate goals in recovery plans
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 94 Appendix E (continued) Policy Date Market Description 05/2020 US Participated in US Congressional Carbon Policy and Pricing Lobby Day (continued) 06/2020 US Organized and issued statement to support passage of Great American Outdoors Act (S.3422) to permanently fund the Land & Water Conservation Fund, which was passed into law in August 2020 06/2020 US Participated in statement in support of the Growing Climate Solutions Act under consideration in the US Congress 06/2020 EU Filed submission to the EU public consultation on the review of the Non-Financial Reporting Directive 07/2020 EU Filed submission to the EU public consultation on the Renewed Sustainable Finance Strategy 08/2020 US Submitted Trillion Tree pledge; joined US Trillion Tree stakeholder committee 09/2020 EU Joined letter in support of increasing EU 2030 GHG emissions reduction target to at least 55 percent net GHG emission reductions compared with 1990 levels 09/2020 EU Joined Corporate Leaders Group Europe to advocate for progressive public policy that supports progress towards net zero in Europe 09/2020 US Participated in letter in support of American Energy Innovation Act (later named Energy Act of 2020) 09/2020 EU Joined Water Europe to advocate for smart water policies in the EU 10/2020 Virginia Participated in letter to Virginia SCC to require utility to incorporate more cost-effective clean energy in its investment plan 10/2020 EU Submitted comments to EU public consultation on “Empowering the consumer for the green transition” 11/2020 US Filed comments to US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in support of FERC issuing policy guidance on integrating state carbon pricing into power market design
Overview Carbon Water Waste Ecosystems Appendix 95 Appendix F Sustainability data assurance statements Microsoft GHG and energy Microsoft water verification statement verification statement Download Download here here
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