Microsoft has announced a new sustainability reporting tool as it looks to give businesses more insight into their output.
Available from June 1 2022, the company says Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability will empower organizations to record, report and reduce their environmental impact via a number of automated data connections.
This will incorporate data sources such as IoT data from devices using sensors, as well as from rich services at the edge or in the cloud.
How does it work?
The new offerings include Emissions Impact Dashboard, which will allow customers to monitor emissions produced from their use of Microsoft cloud hosting services.
Companies will be able to sign up for a free trial of the platform, which will see Microsoft working with a number of partners including Bentley Systems, Honeywell and ABB.
As ESG concerns loom over the entire technology industry, Microsoft says the new tool will give firms access to “more accessible, centralized data intelligence”, which will help them weigh up different ESG and business criteria.
“Digital technologies are also helping organizations facilitate greater transparency and accountability through their value chain, from raw materials to product creation to distribution,” said Alysa Taylor, Corporate VP, Industry, Apps, and Data Marketing and Elisabeth Brinton, Corporate Vice President for Sustainability. “A data-first approach can help organizations achieve data integrity and gain the visibility they need to drive efficiencies, reduce emissions and design out waste.”
Microsoft isn’t the only big tech firm unveiling new ESG reporting tools, which are helping firms get to grips with the sometimes hefty emissions which cloud storage can produce.
Google has also recently launched Carbon Footprint, a tool that provides customers with the gross carbon emissions associated with their Google Cloud Platform usage.
Salesforce launched its cloud-based sustainability suite, Salesforce Sustainability Cloud, in January 2022.
