Microsoft has a long history of sustainability actions dating back to 2009 when it set its first carbon emission reduction goal. By 2050, Microsoft aims to be carbon negative, zero waste, and water positive while also removing all of its historic emissions. ESG reporting involves quantifying environmental and social metrics but also qualitative assessments of areas like leadership and stakeholder relations. Microsoft empowers customers through sustainability solutions in its cloud offerings that are built-in by default, help meet sustainability goals by desire, and co-innovations that design new products. The Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability uses data and AI to help organizations record their sustainability data, generate reports and insights, and take actions to reduce their impacts.

1. ESG and Microsoft
Cloud for
Sustainability
Digital Finance Summit 2022
The Egg, Brussels
Margaret Ann Splawn
Industry Advocate, Sustainability
Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability | Microsoft

2. Decades of action
Our history 2009-2019
200
9
First carbon emission
reduction goal
2012
100% carbon neutral
Internal carbon fee instituted
2016
Zero-waste campus
certification
2017
AI for Earth launch
LEED Gold certification
for new datacenters
2018
Supplier carbon engagement
in China launched
Net zero potable water
Silicon Valley campus groundbreaking
2019
Carbon fee
raised to $15
Water replenishment
goal set
Our commitments 2020-2050
2025
Operate with 100%
renewable energy
2025
Protect more land than
Microsoft uses
203
0
Become
carbon negative
203
0
Become
zero waste
203
0
Become
water positive
205
0
Remove all historic
emissions

3. Environmental Social
Corporate
Governance
ESG
ESG is a data and materiality problem
•Carbon
•Climate
•Water
•Waste
•Ecosystems
•Social Justice
•EH&S
•DEI
•Employee relations
•COVID response
•Leadership
transparency
•Executive pay linked
to ESG KPI’s
•Stakeholder/Proxy
Voting
•Security
Quantitative but complex Qualitative and complex Quantitative and Qualitative

4. Empowering our suppliers, customers, and partners
sustainability goals
Microsoft Cloud
Sustainability by Default
All customers receive built-in
benefits inherent in Microsoft’s
products and services
Azure
D365
M365
Sustainability Solutions
Sustainability by Desire
New tools, solutions and services to
accelerate progress on customer
sustainability commitments
Cloud for Sustainability
Emissions Impact Dashboard
Planetary Computer
Industry Solutions
Sustainability by Design
Co-innovation with customers
and partners to create new
sustainability-related products
and business models
Willow
Earth Knowledge
GSIs

5. Using data to drive insights, results,
and transformation
Microsoft
Cloud for
Sustainability
Record Report Reduce

6. Delivering intelligence to
help you accelerate every
stage of your organization’s
sustainability journey
Comprehensive
Integrated
Automated
DATA
Record
INSIGHTS
Report
ACTION
Reduce
Microsoft
Sustainability
Manager

7. One platform for integrating and accelerating your journey
Connect your data and
calculate your impact
View data analysis
and insights
Take action to accelerate
your sustainability journey

8. Thank you!
Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability | Microsoft