To stabilise the future and build more quickly toward a global net-zero carbon economy, organisations of all types, sizes and sectors are needing to transform common practices. This includes more effectively managing their environmental footprints, embedding sustainability through their organisations and value chains, and making strategic business investments that drive value. This starts with solving a data problem.

Organisations need more accessible, centralised data intelligence to make the high-stakes decisions that are required right now to address complex issues, weighing both business and  environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria to direct capital toward investment opportunities that balance growth and impact. Microsoft is committed to helping its customers accelerate their progress. Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability solutions will provide the intelligence and data management capabilities organisations need to respond to changes with agility and confidence.

Building on more than a decade of work on sustainability

Microsoft’s own sustainability journey began when it set its first carbon goal more than a decade ago. This led the company to better organise its data and realign its company vision and strategy with its sustainability goals. Microsoft continues to build on its commitments to innovate and invest in technologies that address environmental sustainability and to transparently share its achievements and setbacks. It is also considering how to deliver on its ESG commitments while continuing to grow its business and drive shareholder value.

With the release of Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability, the company is bringing together powerful capabilities delivered by Microsoft and its partners to help organisations:

• Unify data intelligence. To effectively drive sustainability reporting, sustainability efforts and business transformation, organisations need better visibility into activities across their enterprise and value chain. Collecting and connecting IoT data from devices using sensors — combined with rich services at the edge or in the cloud — provides the basis to monitor and measure activities at scale. And now, Microsoft Sustainability Manager will empower organisations to more easily record, report and reduce their environmental impact through increasingly automated data connections that deliver actionable insights.

This extensible Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability solution centralises previously disparate data in a common data format and offers organisations an increasingly comprehensive view into the emissions impact of their entire operations and value chain.

• Build more enduring IT infrastructures. Organisations can reduce their environmental impact and increase business value when they replace tools, systems, or activities with more efficient options. Moving workloads to the cloud, for example, can increase both carbon and energy efficiencies. Emissions Impact Dashboard applications provide Microsoft customers with transparency into emissions produced from their use of Microsoft cloud services. Devices also contribute to an organisation’s environmental footprint. Surface devices maximise sustainability of materials and extend product life while minimising product carbon footprint and energy consumption.

• Reduce the environmental impact of operations. With digital solutions delivered through Microsoft and its growing partner ecosystem, the company is already helping organisations maximise asset and production efficiencies, reduce the environmental impact of their buildings and spaces, and advance their transition to clean energy.
   
• Create more sustainable value chains. Digital technologies are also helping organisations facilitate greater transparency and accountability through their value chain, from raw materials to product creation to distribution. A data-first approach can help organisations achieve data integrity and gain the visibility they need to drive efficiencies, reduce emissions and design out waste.

Global partners, a critical piece to extending impact

Much of this important work is being achieved through collaboration with Microsoft’s global ecosystem of partners who have helped it land its ambitions and transform its business. Today, they’re also pivotal to helping customers advance sustainability through robust, innovative solutions powered by the Microsoft Cloud. Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability partner solutions span industries ranging from transportation to real estate to manufacturing.

Learn more about how Microsoft is helping organisations achieve positive impact by watching the Cloud for Sustainability video and on Microsoft.com/sustainability