Commercial, GHG Emissions - July 22, 2020
Microsoft releases new climate initiatives with partner companies
Microsoft announced July 21 new steps in their goal to be carbon negative by 2030, including their newest climate initiative, Transform to Net Zero, in which members not only commit to getting their own companies to net-zero but pursuing technology that allows all businesses to achieve net-zero.
Transform to Net Zero founding members include A.P. Moeller – Maersk, Danone, Mercedes-Benz AG, Microsoft, Natura & Co., Nike, Starbucks, Unilever and Wipro. The Transform to Net Zero participants will focus on sharing info about how they are individually working toward net-zero emissions by 2050, reducing emissions across their value chains and engaging policymakers to incentivize progress toward net-zero. The Environmental Defense Fund is the founding NGO member.
“Our mission is to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more,” Lucas Joppa, Chief Environmental Officer, said in a statement. “This is in line with our belief that ‘the purpose of business is to produce profitable solutions to the problems of people and planet.’ That’s why we’re working every day to address the climate crisis. It is good for the planet and it is good for Microsoft. We cannot achieve our sustainability ambitions alone – this update reflects an extraordinary amount of hard work and dedication across Microsoft and with customers, partners, NGOs and others around the world. Working together, we can build a more sustainable future.”
In addition to their goal to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions to near zero, Microsoft also announced their new target to eliminate their dependency on diesel fuel by 2030. On July 1, the company extended their internal carbon tax to every part of their operations, including Scope 3, and will require more effort from suppliers to reduce their own emissions in line with Microsoft's goals.
In pursuit of their target to reduce their carbon emissions and remove 1 million metric tons of carbon from the atmosphere, the company also this week issued a request for proposal (RFP) to source that carbon removal from a range of nature- and technology-based solutions that are net negative.
Microsoft also announced that they made their first investment from the $1 billion Climate Innovation Fund, which the company first established in January, and will be investing $50 million in Energy Impact Partners, a venture capital firm that focuses on decarbonizing the energy and transportation industries.
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