As part of our commitment to sustainability, we are pleased to report that Microsoft’s supply chain for hardware and packaging (Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Information Services (MSCIS)) was ISO 14001 certified this month. Though we have had a longstanding commitment to supply chain sustainability, including a strict Supplier Code of Conduct that requires Microsoft suppliers to demonstrate social and environmental responsibility, this level of certification represents a new commitment to minimizing the environmental footprint of our hardware and packaging.
ISO 14001 is an internationally-recognized framework for organizations to strategically manage and continuously improve their environmental performance. The framework prescribes a systematic approach to setting targets and objectives and conducting regular management reviews of the results.
Demonstrating the link between people, profits and the planet, the certification also provides our customers and other stakeholders with the objective assurance that Microsoft is responsibly managing the environmental impacts of our hardware and packaging products and enhances Microsoft’s reputation as a preferred business partner. Other positive business impacts include cost savings driven through reduced waste generation, energy use, and resource consumption. The benefit of this certification, both to our customers and our own employees, is that our environmental impact is being measured and improved. In effect, it represents both a commitment and a roadmap to greater sustainability in our supply chain.
The certification to the ISO 14001 standard was the result of a successful collaboration across Microsoft, from the MSCIS packaging and supply chain to global travel and real estate. Working together, they were able to certify the entirety of Microsoft manufacturing and supply chain under one certificate. Of course, our commitment to a sustainable supply chain doesn’t stop with this certification. We will continue to take steps to reduce the environmental footprint of our supply chain and Microsoft devices.