Site icon TheWindowsUpdate.com

Building a more sustainable world together

This post has been republished via RSS; it originally appeared at: The Official Microsoft Blog.

Each year on April 22, Earth Day is observed around the world by people, governments and organizations that acknowledge how important protecting the planet is and commit to creating a more sustainable future. In early 2020, Microsoft put a stake in the ground to accelerate our own sustainability journey by announcing our commitment to become carbon negative by 2030 and to reduce our historical emissions by 2050. Since then, we’ve also committed to become water positive, zero waste, build a Planetary Computer, and to protect more land than we use.

We know these ambitions are bold, they must be paired with action and achieving them is a journey. . Our Microsoft 2020 Environmental Sustainability Report details progress on our commitments, reveals some of the big lessons we’ve learned and provides details about our specific areas of focus in 2021. In addition, the report includes information about the work some of our partners are doing to sustainably transform their businesses, while utilizing technology including Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Power BI, Power Platform, data and AI to help other organizations achieve their sustainability goals as well.

Partner innovations drive more sustainable practices.

As a partner to the U.N. Microsoft has pledged to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), a set of 17 initiatives adopted by member states in 2015, focused on impacting the world for good by 2030. Making an impact starts with bringing solutions to market. As tech innovators and leaders, our partners are leveraging the Microsoft cloud, data science and AI, and working to drive environmental sustainability through exciting programs and solutions. Our #BuildFor2030 campaign highlights Microsoft partners whose technology solutions align with these Sustainability Development Goals and are powering a more inclusive economy. In honor of Earth Day, we want to showcase some of these partners.

Optimizing smart places for a more resilient future

Buildings are some of the biggest contributors to the global climate crisis. [1]  Many of the Microsoft-powered partner solutions featured in our #BuildFor2030 campaign are empowering customers to understand, minimize and manage the environmental impact of their own buildings and spaces:

Learn more about carbon, water and waste partner solutions in our new Sustainability for Smart Buildings e-guide.

Driving operational efficiencies and more responsible supply chain practices

Partners are also helping manufacturers and food producers gain operational efficiencies and influence more responsible supply chain practices:

Learn more about featured solutions in our #BuildFor2030 campaign.

Solutions from systems integrator and advisory partners drive business transformation.

Our systems integrator and advisory partners are also working with companies around the world, applying their deep industry expertise and delivering Microsoft-powered sustainability solutions to drive efficiencies, enable business transformation and protect the planet:

Device partners help drive sustainability from start to finish

Our hardware partners deliver innovative devices and demonstrate their commitment to the sustainability of our planet through the examination and optimization of their own operations and by sourcing renewable or ocean-bound plastics into their PCs.

Giving new life to older devices through the Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher program

Reusing and recycling has always been important to Microsoft. Increased demand in the last year for PCs to meet work and learn-from-home needs has made bringing old devices back to life critical. Millions of PCs and other electronics are being repurposed through the Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher (MAR) program, in which partners decommission and refurbish PCs and servers and install the latest Windows software. Each year, 2 million devices are refurbished In North America, offsetting the equivalent amount of CO2 needed to make 2,000 round trips to the moon.

To help support digital inclusion, MAR partners provide the refurbished PCs to non-profit organizations, businesses, schools and homes. Recently, a group of companies and non-profits in Hong Kong took part in the MAR program and provided computers that were once used in offices to students in need, enabling them to gain access to a device so they could learn from home more effectively.

Working together to accelerate progress towards a more sustainable world

As Dr. Lucas Joppa, Chief Sustainability Officer at Microsoft says, “It’s what we all do together that will make a difference.”

No matter where an organization is in the sustainability journey, our partners’ devices and solutions, powered by the Microsoft cloud, can help organizations minimize environmental impact, drive value and accelerate business transformation. Together with our partners, Microsoft is dedicated to harnessing the power of technology to help everyone, everywhere, build a more sustainable future. For Earth Day this year, let’s recommit to protecting our planet. This important work represents some of the greatest challenges and biggest opportunities of our lifetime, and the benefits will be tremendous! Learn more about how to advance sustainability initiatives at Microsoft.com/sustainability, and explore Microsoft partner solutions featured in our #BuildFor2030 campaign in Microsoft AppSource and Azure Marketplace.

 

 

The post Building a more sustainable world together appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog.

Exit mobile version