Microsoft announced last year that the software giant would be "carbon neutral" across all of their data centers, software development labs, air travel, and office buildings. Today, in an official blog post, Microsoft reflects on its achievements as a celebration of Earth Day 2013.
Microsoft has invested over $4 million dollars in renewable energy and carbon offset projects around the world, which includes wind, hydro, and biomass. All this in effort to achieve carbon neutrality.
Microsoft is also running the first off-the-grid data center that will run on biogas from an adjacent wastewater treatment plant as well as a "smart buildings" project on the main Redmond campus, which debuted back in October of 2011. Microsoft has since expanded the smart buildings to 125 buildings across the Redmond campus. Microsoft expects an energy savings of up to 10%.
Microsoft recently placed second in EPA's Green Power Partnership Top 50 list. This marks the second year in a row that Microsoft has made this illustrious list. Microsoft has mentioned that issues of energy use and environmental change provides an opportunity to make a difference in the world. And thats exactly what Microsoft is set out to do because "its the right thing to do." Microsoft also wants to promote a positive change to reduce their environmental footprint. Making EPA's list only provides that Microsoft is headed in the right direction.
Microsoft is continually focused on the ideology that technology can be used to address environmental challenges. Microsoft is also working hard to make progress in reducing its environmental footprint.