The A to Z of Sustainability

Climate change has been top of mind for many of us as we see its effects and work together to find solutions. However, an issue so complex can often be overwhelming and muddled with dense technical language.?

We tried to break down some complex issues with the ABCs of Sustainability series. Fossil fuels and value chain emissions usually don’t make great topics at dinner parties but it might help to explain some of the most pressing sustainability topics with visual definitions and?lessons centered around alphabet letters. Let’s dive in, from A to Z.?

A is for Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence has the power to help us find innovative solutions and better manage our resources to meet our sustainability goals.?

B is for Breakthrough Energy Catalyst

This funding program, of which Microsoft is a part of, is designed to accelerate the development of climate solutions in four key areas: direct air capture; green hydrogen; long-duration energy storage; and sustainable aviation fuel.?

C is for Climate Innovation Fund

Microsoft has allocated $471 million to date via its $1B Climate Innovation Fund to accelerate technology development and deployment of new climate innovations through equity and debt capital.?

D is for Direct Air Capture

DAC is a technology used to capture carbon dioxide directly from the air. When the captured carbon is combined with underground storage, it allows the permanent removal of CO? emissions. Microsoft has signed a long-term removal agreement with Climeworks to help achieve its goals and support the development of modern technologies in this area.?

E is for Electricity Policy

Our public policy advocacy relating to the electrical grid is focused on three pillars. These seek to support an expanded, robust, reliable and carbon-free grid by: (1) accelerating the transition to clean electricity generation; (2) modernizing and improving grid infrastructure; and (3) encouraging an equitable energy future.?

F is for Fossil Fuels

Microsoft is removing fossil fuels from all campuses and datacenters by electrifying campus vehicles and moving to kitchens powered by renewable energy. It is part of our aim to be carbon negative – removing more carbon than we emit – by 2030.?

G is for the Global South

Between 2000 and 2018, there were 2.2 billion people in the Global South that were under high or extreme climate risk, almost 10.5 times more than in the Global North.?

H is for Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Microsoft is piloting the use of hydrogen fuel cells as a green source of backup energy for our datacenters. In 2020, these fuel cells powered a row of datacenter servers for 48 hours.?

I is for Interoperable

Without an interoperable carbon accounting system that works in the same way globally, it is impossible to see what progress we have made and the impact of our actions.?

J is for Justice

When droughts, floods and other climate-induced disasters strike, it is frequently poor and underdeveloped communities who bear the impact. Through partnerships with the likes of renewable energy developer Sol Systems, Microsoft is helping support environmental justice and equity in under-resourced communities.?

K is for KOKO

Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund portfolio company, KOKO is tackling the problem of dirty cooking fuel in Africa. Its tech platform enables the low-cost delivery of clean bioethanol cooking fuel to replace charcoal, which currently dominates the African cooking fuel market.?

L is for Low Carbon Building Materials

Cement accounts for approximately 8% of global emissions. Microsoft is piloting the use of materials such as earthen slabs and algae-grown bricks and is working with Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund company- Leko Labs to revolutionize the way buildings are created, using technology to eliminate inefficiencies.?

M is for Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability

Cloud for Sustainability provides comprehensive, integrated and automated management for organizations at any stage of their sustainability journey. It is designed to streamline the process for organizations to collect and analyze data and turn it into insights.?

N is for Net Zero

The world must reach net zero to avert the worst impacts of climate change. Microsoft is a co-founder and signatory of the Carbon Call, an initiative focused on solving companies’ carbon emissions and removal accounting challenges for a net zero future.?

O is for Oceans

Protecting the oceans and conserving their resources is a critical part global sustainability. Microsoft’s Ocean Plastic Mouse uses 20% recycled ocean plastic in its outer shell.?

P is for Planetary Computer

Finding and sharing environmental data is a huge challenge. Microsoft is building a planetary computer to aggregate this data from around the world and put it to work with machine learning.?

?Q is for Quantifiable

From waste accounting to carbon storage, Microsoft is using its technology to create quantifiable solutions that help the world understand where change needs to be made. We believe that we cannot manage what we cannot measure.?

R is for Renewable Energy

Microsoft aims to procure enough renewable energy to match our electricity consumption by 2025.??

S is for Sustainability Skills

Moving from sustainability pledges to progress will require equipping companies and employees with a broad range of new skills needed for climate adaptation and sustainability transformation.???

T is for ?TerraPraxis

Through a collaboration with TerraPraxis, Microsoft aims to help repurpose over 2,400 coal-fired power plants worldwide, enabling them to run on carbon-free nuclear energy. Our tools will automate the design and regulatory approval process.?

U is for UNFCCC

The objective of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is to stabilize atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations at levels that are not dangerous, in a timeframe that allows ecosystems to adapt, and in a way that enables sustainable development.?

V is for Value Chain Emissions

By 2030, Microsoft will reduce its Scope 3 emissions by more than half from its 2020 baseline. All Microsoft business divisions are financially responsible for the carbon emissions they create, including through value and supply chain activities.?

W is for Water positive

Microsoft is committed to being water positive by 2030, replenishing more water than we use. Microsoft thinks the future of water depends on technology innovation, and advocates for the preservation of freshwater resources on the steering committee of the UN CEO Water Mandate.?

X?is for XBOX

Energy Saver is a new low-power standby mode for Xbox consoles. All Xbox products and accessories and Surface devices in OECD countries will be in 100 percent recyclable packaging by 2030.?

Y?is for You

You have a key role to play in tackling sustainability issues. There are many ways to get involved, from recycling at home and managing your water use to urging your employer or local government to make policy or procedural changes.?

Z?is for Zero Waste

Every year, people consume 100 billion tons of materials, and in 2020 only 8.6% of those materials were reused, according to the Circularity Gap Report 2021. Microsoft is committed to being a zero-waste company by 2030.?

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