The article below discusses how Microsoft is reducing
or offsetting its carbon footprint, and in essence
encouraging sustainability. We believe it's fantastic that
a corporate giant has been implementing such strategies on
an international scale. We hope others will follow.
Totally Green promotes sustainability, carbon neutrality,
and environmental stewardship by providing two
innovative, cost-effective products: the ORCA
Food Digester converts food waste to water in
24hrs while in turn reducing landfills and methane gas;
Green Bottle Spring Water offers fresh spring
water near your location and in compostable, earth-friendly
bottles.
May 8, 2012
Microsoft launches company-wide carbon offset program
Posted by Janet I. Tu
Microsoft announced today it's launching a company-wide
program where each division and business unit worldwide
will be responsible for offsetting its carbon footprint via
internal fees and other measures.
It works like this: Say you work in the Office division. If
you take a plane trip, you create a certain carbon
footprint which is translated into a dollar amount that the
Office division pays into a company central carbon offset
fund.
The idea is for the company to be carbon neutral starting
in fiscal year 2013, which begins July 1.
Each division will pay into the central fund to offset its
carbon emissions. Microsoft is talking with several
nonprofits to figure out the best use of those funds to
purchase renewable energy and carbon offsets.
The plan takes advantage of data tracking to be able to
more closely monitor each division's carbon emissions data.
It creates a business incentive for divisions to become
more aware of, and to more closely watch, their energy use,
said Rob Bernard, Microsoft's chief environmental
strategist.
The goal is for divisions to reduce their carbon emissions
through measures such as taking less plane trips and
increasing their use of renewable energy. The internal
carbon fee is levied for emissions that are not eliminated
through such measures.
"We recognize that we are not the first company to commit
to carbon neutrality, but we are hopeful that our decision
will encourage other companies large and small to look at
what they can do to address this important issue,"
Microsoft COO Kevin Turner said in an official blog post.
The fee will be applied to Microsoft operations in more
than 100 countries, including its data centers and software
development labs.
Earlier this year, Microsoft noted it had reached its goal
of reducing its carbon emissions at least 30 percent per
unit of revenue below its 2007 baseline. The company was
also recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
as the third largest purchaser of green power in the U.S.
Recommend:
