Microsoft wants to promote locally generated green electricity through a new strategy

In the face of climate change, more and more companies have set themselves the goal of becoming climate neutral in all respects as soon as possible. However, this can sometimes take a long time, because if you also consider suppliers and contract workers, many other sources of emissions must be taken into account. Microsoft has switched completely to green electricity since 2012. Another step should make this switch even more climate-friendly.

After all, how do you get enough green electricity for your day-to-day business if it is not available in sufficient quantities everywhere? Quite simply: By compensating for your electricity consumption in some other way. The company continues to use electricity from coal and nuclear power plants, but this is offset by investments in green electricity elsewhere.

In itself, it is therefore commendable that Microsoft, in theory, relies entirely on green electricity, but the current method hardly creates any incentives to expand the local electricity grid with solar and wind power systems, for example. With its new goal, the company only wants to buy green electricity that is produced locally by 2030.

In many countries, this still requires immense investments. In its home country, the USA, Microsoft faces the problem that only 20 percent of the electricity mix comes from sustainable sources. And of course, Google, Facebook, Apple and Co. would like to reduce this. This is where President Biden comes in handy.

Because the Democrat would like to operate the American power grid completely with renewable energies by 2035, so there would be enough supply for tech companies. If Microsoft only purchased local green electricity by 2030, the group would have achieved two goals at the same time. Because by then, businesses should absorb more CO₂ than they emit.

Own opinion:

Microsoft is taking a bold step with the new approach and at the same time shows weaknesses in its own approach. After all, every country has to operate its electricity grid in a green way in order to mitigate the effects of climate change in the long term. The new target could create incentives and promote the expansion of renewable energies.

Via The Verge