Microsoft and the Environment
From Lauraibm
Contents
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Articles in the Press
MI Summary
Microsoft sets out a clear environmental policy which covers a broad range of issues ranging from their commitment to conserve, reuse and recycle to their dedication to comply with environmental legislation, regulations and licensing conditions.
The corporation follow strict policies to ensure they remain in compliance with international environmental regulations. Environmental initiatives include reducing and disposing of waste in a responsible manner, developing safe and sustainable products, and making environmental stewardship part of the business relationship, in addition to this they seek similar environmental commitments from major suppliers.
Microsoft Silicon Valley campus has included a number of environmental measures e.g. reducing irrigation requirements, reducing electricity consumption and recycling materials throughout construction. In 2006 the Silicon Valley campus deployed a solar electric system; this has the benefit of sparing the environment from thousands of tons of harmful emissions and being a 100% renewable resource amongst many more benefits.
What the Vendor says about itself
Microsoft is conscientious about caring for and sustaining the environment as a whole - whether in the way we maintain our workplace and the area surrounding our offices, or in the way we produce software.
The local area - office buildings and surrounds
We believe in the importance of sound stewardship of our buildings and the local surroundings. To this end:
- We recycle 90% of the content of our UK office bins. These efforts save 240 trees a year
- We reduce energy usage in our buildings through movement-activated lighting and the automatic switching-off of monitors
- Our head office Campus in Reading is maintained to the highest standards and our on-site team is committed to providing an environment which supports and encourages local wildlife and fauna
We have an annually-reviewed travel plan for the Reading Campus, recognizing the need to reduce car use and the beneficial effects this will have on traffic congestion in Reading Thames Valley Park. The travel plan advocates cycle paths, car sharing and the maintenance of a shuttle service between Thames Valley Park and central Reading.
Microsoft promotes its travel plan policies to staff, contractors and visitors, encouraging the reduction of car use. We are committed to continually evaluating, reviewing and updating the policy.
Software production and sustainable development
At Microsoft we aim to use technologies which are friendly to the environment, enabling people who use our products to work and play in the digital age while living in harmony with the needs of our natural world.
Our environmental policy at Microsoft European Operations Centre is to:
- Pursue the principles of sustainable development - development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
- Conserve, reuse and recycle. We aim to minimise the use of material, supplies and energy, ensuring wherever possible that our products contain renewable or recyclable materials and components
- Minimise significant waste in all parts of the business - and as World Class Manufacturers, we aim for 'waste free' processes
- Encourage similar environmental commitments from our major suppliers
- Encourage employee involvement in environmental action
- Encourage our freight forwarders to adopt an environmentally-sound transport policy
- Assess continuously the environmental impact of our products and operations
- Set objectives and targets to ensure continuous improvement in environmental performance
- Comply with relevant environmental legislation, regulations and licensing conditions
In accordance with this policy, Microsoft European Operations Centre complies with the requirements of BS7750 Environmental Management Systems.
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Environmental Principles
Published: May 9, 2006
At Microsoft, we work actively to protect our natural resources. We have corporate policies and procedures that conserve environmental resources at our facilities and in our products, packaging, and supplier operations. We follow strict policies to ensure that we remain in full compliance with international environmental regulations as well as the specific environmental requirements of each country where we do business.
Conserve, Reuse, and Recycle Where feasible, we conserve natural resources through the use of recycled materials and supplies, the efficient use of energy, and the participation in recycling programs for our products after they have served their useful life. We encourage and support the sustainable use of renewable natural resources.
Reduce and Dispose of Waste We reduce and where possible eliminate waste through source reduction and recycling at our facilities. All waste shall be handled and disposed of through safe and responsible methods.
Develop Safe and Sustainable Products Microsoft develops, manufactures, and markets products that are safe for their intended use. Our environmental policies and practices aim to protect, conserve, or sustain the world’s natural resources as well as protect our customers and the communities in which we live and operate.
Make Environmental Stewardship Part of Our Business Relationships At Microsoft, we strive to incorporate our Environmental Principles into our business relationships. We seek similar commitments to the environment from our major suppliers. We participate in industry groups to set industry standards on environmental practices. We strive to keep our customers informed of our efforts and welcome their feedback.
Continually Improve Our Performance We set objectives and targets to ensure continuous improvement in our environmental performance. We value employee contributions to our environmental initiatives. We regularly review our business activity and assess our environmental programs, practices, and goals to evaluate our progress and to identify areas where further improvements can be made.
Demonstrate Responsibility to Our Stakeholders We engage our stakeholders concerning our objectives and targets and periodically communicate our progress to our Board, shareholders, customers, and members of the public.
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Microsoft Silicon Valley Solar Electric System and Environmental Efforts
April 2006
Microsoft Corp. is committed to protecting natural resources and reducing energy consumption. Since the company was founded 30 years ago, it has continued to implement new policies and procedures that focus on preserving the environment.
Maintaining an environmentally friendly campus has always been a priority for Microsoft’s Silicon Valley campus (SVC). Even before it opened in 1999, the company began to explore innovative ways of developing an environmentally sound workplace.
Environmental measures at SVC have included the following:
- Incorporated recycled materials throughout construction of campus buildings
- Planted drought-tolerant landscaping to reduce water use
- Reduced water use by reducing irrigation requirements through downsizing the parking lot groundcover landscaping
- Reduced electricity consumption by 72,000 kW annually by reducing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and lighting during hours of operation
- Modified water timing so watering is based on need instead of preset intervals
- Replaced high-energy lighting with more energy-efficient lighting
- Continued to maintain heating and cooling systems to operate at maximum efficiency
Solar Electric System
In the spring of 2006, SVC deployed a solar electric system.
The following are facts about Microsoft’s solar panel electric system:
- Is the largest solar power system in Silicon Valley
- Helps meet the company’s electricity needs, lower energy costs and reduce emissions
- Generates 480 kW at peak capacity
- Includes 2,288 solar panels
- Covers 31,000 square feet
Benefits of the Solar Electric System
The installation of the SVC solar electric system will not only benefit the company, it will also offer vast benefits to the entire Silicon Valley area.
Some of the major benefits that come from the system include these:
- Spares the environment from thousands of tons of harmful emissions that are major contributors to smog, acid rain and global warming
- Produces zero emissions and is a 100 percent renewable source
- Provides a 25-year warranty on power output
- Protects roofs from UV and thermal degradation
- Reduces Microsoft’s electrical load during peak demand times
- Generates enough energy to power 500 homes
- Reduces emissions equivalent to planting 1,000 trees, removing 800 cars or not driving 10 million miles on California’s roads
- Reduces CO2 by 4,000 tons over 30 years
Microsoft’s Global Efforts
The SVC’s newly installed solar electric system is an example of the many innovative measures the company is adopting to actively protect natural resources.
Some of the company’s overall efforts include these:
- Recycling and conservation. Microsoft has an extensive recycling and conservation program in place at its corporate headquarters that reduces waste and conserves resources at all the company’s facilities by recycling a daily average of 24 tons of material. The company also recycles old PCs, monitors, servers and other surplus hardware. In addition, Microsoft participates in programs throughout the world that refurbish thousands of PCs every year and donate them to schools and nongovernmental organizations.
- Employee transit. Microsoft encourages its employees to take action in their daily lives through carpooling programs and alternative commuting choices. At many campuses, the company offers public transportation passes to its employees and helps arrange van and car pools. One of the most popular days at the SVC is the “bike to work day” where employees are encouraged to pedal their way to the office.
- Environmental design. Software and hardware products are designed to comply with worldwide environmental regulations. Microsoft does not use heavy metals, such as lead and cadmium, in packaging, and the company restricts the use of these substances in its hardware.
- Vendor requirements. As a global company manufacturing all over the world, Microsoft requires that all vendors abide by the applicable environmental laws and follow good environmental practices that reflect the spirit of those laws.
- Elimination of PVC. Microsoft’s most recent initiative is the elimination of PVC from the majority of Microsoft packaging. For a small group of products, clamshells containing PVC have been replaced with an alternative clamshell that uses polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a plastic resin and a form of polyester, to provide anti-theft security. Based on historical software shipments, these recent measures will reduce PVC packaging over the next two years by over 1.6 million pounds.
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Driving environmental sustainability practices with Microsoft Dynamics
Your ERP system might hold information waiting to help
In today's economy, the financial results a company delivers are no longer the only defining measure of that company's strength. Increasing importance is being placed on each company's approach to corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability. You might call it the "convenient truth": the information that currently resides in your ERP system might already be waiting to help. Find out how this untapped resource could help you make a positive impact—not only on your business and the community in which you work, but on the environment and the world.
Researchers expect increasing IT spend around environmental sustainability
AMR Research—a leading business advisory firm focused on supply chain, enterprise applications, and next-generation infrastructure—recently conducted a survey of 200 businesses across Europe to discover their approaches to environmental sustainability practices. The study delivered fascinating results.
- Environmental sustainability initiatives are a top of mind issue for many, if not all companies surveyed, commanding 16% of IT budgets in 2004 and growing to 21% of IT budgets in 2007. That’s 31% growth over that period. Interestingly, there is some disagreement between what IT thinks they are investing in and what the lines of business think they are spending, underscoring a lack of cohesiveness of the initiatives across organizations.
- The five most important IT solutions or components for managing environmental initiatives are supply chain management, ERP, compliance management, financial management, and manufacturing/production operations.
- It appears that many initiatives in this area have been done in response to pressures of regulatory compliance and that they have been implemented primarily on a local basis.
- Environmental dashboards are considered useful by 92% of respondents with 72% of all respondents stating that Dashboards are either in place now or will be in the next 24 months.
Consider Microsoft as a strategic partner to help you get there
Microsoft recognizes the importance of enabling businesses to achieve higher levels of environmental sustainability by virtue of the information within their IT solutions, and is driving development of solutions that can help you get there. For example, a "snap" application for Microsoft Dynamics will soon be available to let you implement an environmental dashboard on top of Microsoft Office SharePoint and Microsoft Dynamics.
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