PARIS: US multinational giant Microsoft is the first in a wave of ICT companies to join RE100 this week, partnering with like-minded businesses from around the world to take action against climate change.
Microsoft has been 100% powered by renewable electricity since 2014, by purchasing renewable energy credits (RECs) and investing in renewable electricity generation projects such as wind turbines and onsite solar panels at its data centers.
From here on, the company plans to increase direct purchasing of the renewable electricity it uses.
Rob Bernard, Chief Environmental Strategist at Microsoft, said: “Investments in renewable energy are a foundation of Microsoft’s overall sustainability strategy, and we are proud to join RE100 to demonstrate our support of this effort. We are committed to increasing our purchase of green power and making long-term purchase agreements to power our facilities with local renewable energy. Microsoft has been 100% powered by renewable energy since 2014, and this year alone, we have purchased more than 3.2 billion kilowatt hours of renewable energy.”
Highlighting the importance of the collective business voice on climate action, he adds: “We look forward to working alongside other companies through RE100’s campaign to jointly move toward a more sustainable future.”
Setting an example to other companies and international policy makers alike, Microsoft made a commitment in 2012 to become carbon-neutral by establishing an internal carbon fee model to hold its business groups financially responsible for their carbon emissions. Switching to renewables made business sense.
As well as incorporating sustainability into its own business model, the company is pushing it out through the products and services it offers – using the cloud to change the way IT is managed and delivered.
There are now 44 companies in RE100, including Alstria, Autodesk, Aviva, Biogen, BROAD Group, BT Group, Commerzbank, DSM, Elion Resources Group, Elopak, Formula E, Givaudan, Goldman Sachs, H&M, IKEA Group, Infosys, J. Safra Sarasin, Johnson & Johnson, Kingspan, KPN, La Poste, Land Securities, Marks & Spencer, Mars Incorporated, Microsoft, Nestlé, Nike, Inc., Novo Nordisk, Philips, Procter & Gamble, Proximus, RELX Group, Salesforce, SAP, SGS, Starbucks, Steelcase, Swiss Re, UBS, Unilever, Vaisala, Voya Financial, Walmart and YOOX Group.
