How to offset your carbon footprint using Microsoft's cloud services

No matter how you slice it, there is no escaping the fact that the internet and its associated infrastructure have a significant environmental impact. For example, figures show that the overall IT sector has the same environmental impact as the aviation industry and that data centers alone account for 0.3% of global CO2 emissions.

The climate impact of businesses has recently become increasingly important, not least in procurement. At the same time, a new generation is entering the labor market. A generation that has grown up in the shadow of the environmental threat and is making demands on its future workplace.

Cloud computing is up to 93% more energy efficient

Choosing a multinational giant like Microsoft over in-house operations or traditional hosting solutions for sustainability reasons may sound strange - but it's not. In this case, size is an advantage. Studies show that Microsoft's cloud services are up to 93% more energy efficient and 98% more carbon efficient than traditional data centers.

Microsoft currently runs a number of initiatives for a better environment, with a sustainability vision that includes business operations, products and customers. In their work includes that:

• Building sustainable campuses and data centres
• Driving research through data science
• Partner with existing and new customers to drive sustainable change.
• Advocating for changes in environmental policy

Carbon neutral since July 1, 2019

An important part of Microsoft's environmental efforts is the internal carbon tax, which was introduced in 2012 to hold all divisions accountable for reducing their carbon emissions. In 2019, the internal tax was increased to $15 per tonne, as part of the company's vision to expand its sustainability commitments and reduce its carbon emissions by 75% by 2030. Since 1 July 2019, Microsoft's operations have been carbon neutral, offsetting unavoidable emissions through the purchase of renewable energy and carbon credits.

Building the world's most sustainable data center in Sweden

Microsoft has long been working on building sustainable data centers. Some of the world's most sustainable data centers will actually be built here in Sweden, in Sandviken, Gävle and Staffanstorp. As well as using only renewable electricity generation, they are working with Vattenfall to build an electricity infrastructure in the region, reducing overall carbon emissions and achieving zero waste operations.

Microsoft and Vattenfall's partnership actually goes back further than that. In 2017, they signed a major wind power deal in the Netherlands, when Microsoft bought the Wieringermeer wind farm, north of Amsterdam. The facility is operated by Vattenfall and is adjacent to Microsoft's data center in the area.

Technological advances for a sustainable future

As employees, using Microsoft's cloud services for collaboration and communication also creates a more sustainable way of working. Taking meetings in Microsoft Teams and collaborating in the cloud is a great way to avoid unnecessary travel by train, car and plane. But technological advances have more positive effects than that. According to a report by PwC UK the use of artificial intelligence could increase global GDP by up to 4.4% while reducing emissions to 4% by 2030. Microsoft is driving research in this area, including through its AI for Earth program with data and open APIs for green AI solutions.

You should feel confident in your choice

With Microsoft's certifications, internal carbon tax and renewable energy targets, you can feel confident that your company has made a good choice - which will ultimately benefit your customers, partners and employees.

These are just a few examples of how Microsoft works on environmental issues. If you are interested in learning more, there is a lot of information on Microsoft's own sustainability pages.

Since its inception, WeSafe has specialized in Microsoft cloud services and has unique expertise in this area. Want to know more about how you can use Microsoft's cloud services? Contact us here.