As Microsoft continues to grow and innovate, our commitment to environmental sustainability remains a core value. Our annual report is an opportunity to share our learnings to help accelerate markets, provide transparency around our progress, and explore how we can scale solutions across our value chain.
At this halfway point to our 2030 goals, we’re reaching key milestones and making meaningful progress. Together, with our customers, partners, and employees, we can build a healthier, more sustainable future.
At this halfway point to our 2030 goals, we’re reaching key milestones and making meaningful progress. Together, with our customers, partners, and employees, we can build a healthier, more sustainable future.
Microsoft Sustainability Carbon
We’re reducing operational emissions and scaling carbon removal with strategic investments on our journey to becoming carbon negative.
In FY24, we contracted nearly 22 million metric tons of carbon removals.
In-year neutrality 1,690,940
2030 carbon negative 2,804,056
2031+ carbon negative and historic emissions 17,432,374
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As demand for AI and cloud services grows, we’re redefining how we design, build, and operate datacenters—using innovations like direct-to-chip cooling, which saves over 125 million liters of water per facility each year, and hybrid timber-steel construction, which reduces embodied carbon by up to 65% compared to traditional concrete models.
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Microsoft has contracted 34 GW of new renewable energy across 24 countries, expanding access to carbon-free electricity through global procurement, innovative contracts, and infrastructure partnerships—advancing decarbonization across industries and communities.
Microsoft Sustainability Water
In 2020, we set the ambitious commitment of becoming water positive by 2030. Our approach is designed to mitigate water stress, safeguard critical watersheds, and support global resilience.
Our water replenishment portfolio works to improve watershed health through a broad range of activities.
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In Quincy, Washington, we partnered with the local municipality to build the Quincy Water Reuse Utility, recycling cooling water, reducing Microsoft’s potable water use in the region by 97%, and providing 1.5 million cubic meters of water annually for community drinking water needs.
Microsoft Sustainability Waste
In 2020, we committed to becoming zero waste by 2030—part of a broader effort to support the global transition to a circular economy and away from the traditional linear model of take, make, and waste.
In FY24, we diverted 88.1% of operational waste and reused or recycled 90.9% of servers and components—meeting our goal a year early.
In FY24, we diverted approximately 26,000 metric tons of waste from being landfilled or incinerated across our owned datacenters and campuses.
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Since 2020, we’ve been systematically phasing out single-use plastics in our packaging and have prioritized recyclability. The new Surface Pro 11 and Laptop 7 earned an 8/10 iFixit repairability score, with 11+ replaceable components and enclosures made from 100% recycled aluminum alloy.
In FY24, we achieved a rate of 94.8% recyclability across all Microsoft product packaging.
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Microsoft Sustainability Ecosystems
From supporting pollinator habitats on campuses to integrating biodiversity into datacenter designs, we’re embedding ecological considerations into our operations. Through partnerships and innovative technologies, we’re helping to protect and restore ecosystems locally and globally.
As of FY24, Microsoft has permanently protected 15,849 acres—exceeding its land protection target by over 30%.
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Microsoft land use footprint
Through partnerships with One Tree Planted and American Forests, Microsoft has expanded urban forestry efforts to enhance green spaces, mitigate urban heat islands, and improve stormwater management. One Tree Planted has supported the planting of 87,000 trees across nine projects in eight countries.
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Through the AI for Good Lab, Microsoft supports researchers worldwide in tackling biodiversity challenges with AI-driven tools. In Colombia, Project Guacamaya uses AI, satellite imagery, and bioacoustics to monitor Amazonian biodiversity—analyzing over 100,000 rainforest sounds with over 80% accuracy to enable rapid ecological response.
Customer Sustainability
Microsoft is committed to providing innovative technology to help build a more sustainable world. We are advancing greener software and reducing carbon intensity to improve device sustainability and helping organizations measure and manage the health of the planet’s natural ecosystems.
We believe AI is essential for advancing sustainability progress at speed and scale. AI supports the sustainability workforce and empowers organizations to measure, predict, and optimize complex systems.
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The Microsoft Planetary Computer offers an open, cross-domain geospatial platform that empowers everyone with the data they need to monitor, model, and protect Earth’s natural resources, with 50+ petabytes of data across 120+ open collections.
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 facilitating a just energy transition.
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Microsoft, with Elemental Impact, Capgemini, and Bouygues, launched the Build Better Innovation Challenge to identify low-carbon material solutions that reduce Scope 3 emissions. The partnership draws on the strengths of global industry leaders to offer winners pilot opportunities and technical support.
Melanie Nakagawa
Chief Sustainability Officer
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.
We’re building sustainability into everything we do—including our operations, products, solutions, and beyond our four walls.
We’re developing and delivering sustainable solutions, tools, and resources to help our customers accelerate their sustainability progress.
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.
