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2024 Environmental Sustainability Report

We’re sharing our latest progress, challenges, and learnings to accelerate global progress towards net zero.

Accelerating innovation and partnership

In 2020, we committed to becoming carbon negative, water positive, zero waste, and to protect more land than we use by 2030. We remain focused on accelerating progress toward our 2030 commitments and beyond and are investing in new approaches to meet the realities of this challenge.

Microsoft Sustainability

Our sustainability work starts with taking accountability for our own operational footprint. We’re committed to sharing learnings, accelerating markets, scaling solutions across our value chain, and being transparent about our progress.
The question “How are we addressing our environmental footprint” alongside a view of deep canyons under a blue sky.

Carbon negative

Our sustainability journey starts with reducing our carbon emissions as much as possible, replacing our energy consumption with carbon-free energy, and removing the emissions that remain.

Water positive

At Microsoft, net water positive means reducing water consumption across our global operations, replenishing more water than we use, increasing access to water and sanitation services, scaling water solutions through innovation and digitization, and advocating for effective and innovative water policy.

Zero waste

As we work to achieve zero waste, we’re taking an increasingly circular approach to materials management to reduce waste and carbon emissions. Our strategy goes beyond waste diversion as we work across our value chain beginning with design and material selection.

Protect ecosystems

We’ve committed to permanently protect more land than we use by 2025 and have exceeded our land protection target by more than 40%. Beyond our own operations, we’re actively working to protect the environmental health of the communities that host our datacenter operations and where our employees live and work.

“We remain resolute in our commitment to meet our climate goals and to empower others with the technology needed to build a more sustainable future.”

Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President, and Melanie Nakagawa, Chief Sustainability Officer

Customer Sustainability

We're committed to providing the digital technology needed to build a more sustainable world and supporting our customers on their own sustainability journeys.
Small research vessels in a bay by the edge of a glacier alongside the question, “How are we advancing technology for net zero?”.

“There is no issue today that connects everyone on the planet more than the issues around climate change. We all need to succeed together.”

Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President, and Melanie Nakagawa, Chief Sustainability Officer

Global Sustainability

We’re focused on accelerating the availability of new climate technologies, strengthening our climate policy agenda, helping to develop a more reliable and interoperable carbon accounting system, advocating for skilling programs to expand the green workforce, and working to enable a just energy transition.
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Beyond our report

We believe in the power of transparency and accountability to accelerate progress. Our work doesn’t stop here—we’re working on a number of initiatives to create a more sustainable future.
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Advancing sustainability

We’re building sustainability into everything we do—including our operations, products, solutions, and beyond our four walls.
Front view of solar panels.

Empowering our customers

We’re developing and delivering sustainable solutions, tools, and resources to help our customers accelerate their sustainability progress.
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Enabling societal impact

We believe that companies that can do more, should. In this era of AI, we remain committed to responsible innovation, ensuring that we’re building a responsible future for everyone.

More sustainability reports

Access historical sustainability reports for Microsoft below or visit our Reports Hub for more options.
A thumbnail image of the 2024 Sustainability Report cover.

2024 Environmental Sustainability Report

This report covers our 2023 financial year.
Cover of the 2022 Environmental Sustainability Report.

2022 Environmental Sustainability Report

This report covers our 2022 financial year.
Cover of the 2021 Environmental Sustainability Report.

2021 Environmental Sustainability Report

This report covers our 2021 financial year.
Cover of the 2020 Environmental Sustainability Report.

2020 Environmental Sustainability Report

This report covers our 2020 financial year.
  • Pursuant to California Assembly Bill No. 1305 (the “law” or “1305”), which was signed into law October 7, 2023, Microsoft may be required to make certain disclosures regarding its involvement in the voluntary carbon offsets markets, use of voluntary carbon offsets, and/or certain claims or goals regarding greenhouse gas emissions reductions. While the law itself does not specify a deadline for initial disclosures, the bill’s author has indicated that his intent was that the deadline for companies’ first annual disclosure under the law should be considered to be January 1, 2025. Microsoft is in the process of determining the scope of our potential reporting obligations under this law. We take our sustainability commitments and disclosure obligations seriously, and should we determine that we have reporting obligations under 1305, we will promptly determine the scope of those obligations and comply with those obligations no later than January 1, 2025.

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