New report outlines how businesses moving from on-premises datacenters to the Microsoft Cloud can achieve sustainable innovation

REDMOND, Wash. — May 17, 2018 — A new report issued Thursday by Microsoft Corp. in partnership with WSP shows significant energy and carbon emissions reduction potential from the Microsoft Cloud when compared with on-premises datacenters. These gains, as much as 93 percent more energy efficient and as high as 98 percent more carbon efficient, are due to Microsoft’s extensive investments in IT efficiency from chip-to-datacenter infrastructure, as well as renewable energy.

“The world is producing more data than ever, making our infrastructure decisions about how to power this digital transformation incredibly important,” said Brad Smith, president and chief legal officer, Microsoft. “Today’s report confirms what we’ve long believed — that investing in sustainability is good for business, good for customers and good for the planet.”

Specifically, the report found that cloud investments made by Microsoft in IT operational efficiency, IT equipment efficiency, datacenter infrastructure efficiency and renewable electricity were responsible for the environmental benefits. These efficiencies translate into both energy and carbon savings for Microsoft and customers using Microsoft Cloud services.

Microsoft Cloud services achieve energy and emissions reductions in comparison with every on-premises deployment scenario assessed — Microsoft Azure Cloud Compute, Azure Storage, Exchange Online and SharePoint Online.

With more regions than any other cloud provider, Microsoft provides cloud services to customers around the world. As customers across all industries move to the cloud, sustainability and environmental responsibility are key factors in their choice of cloud provider.

“Schneider Electric chose the Microsoft Cloud to power our numerous cloud-based offerings, and it has helped us achieve our goal of becoming a global leader in sustainable energy management,” said Michael MacKenzie, vice president, EcoStruxure Technology Platform – IoT & Digital Offers, Schneider Electric. “The fact that Microsoft shares our sustainability values and focus on decreasing environmental impact makes the company a natural partner for us.”

“When organizations choose low-carbon cloud computing, they are taking an important step forward on sustainability,” said Lance Pierce, president of CDP North America. “Sustainable digital transformation, powered by a cleaner cloud, enables the creation of a sustainable and thriving economy that works for people and planet in the long term.”

Learn more about the Microsoft’s investments and approach to sustainability in the cloud at https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/?p=58951. The report can be found in full at "The Carbon Benefits of Cloud Computing: A Study on the Microsoft Cloud."

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.