Today,the CDP, a not-for-profit organization providing a global system for companies and cities to measure, disclose, manage and share vital environmental information, 
released the CDP S&P 500 Climate Change Report 2014. This year, Microsoft scored 99 (A) out of 100, an improvement from our 2013 score of 96 (A). In the Climate Performance Leadership index, Microsoft was only one of 10 information technology companies included on the list:
- Performance—Recognizing the 34 companies that earned the highest band of “A” for their climate performance assessment, the 2014 Climate Performance Leadership Index (CPLI) acknowledges these companies for taking action to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the business risks of climate change.
- Disclosure—Recognizing the 63 companies that were in the top 10 percent of the report for disclosure scores (a score of 97 or higher), the 2014 Climate Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI) acknowledges the depth and
quality of climate change data that these companies disclosed to investors and the global marketplace through CDP.
This is the first year that we have been recognized for both accomplishments. The announcement follows closely behind learning that Microsoft has once again earned a place on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), one of the most renowned sustainability indices globally. As in previous years, we maintain inclusion within the DJSI North American Index as well as within the prestigious DJSI World Index—for which only 10% of the world’s 2,500 largest corporations make the grade. The annual review of the DJSI family is based on a thorough analysis of economic, social, and environmental performance, assessing a wide array of corporate citizenship issues including climate change mitigation.
We’re truly honoured to be recognized for our efforts to measure, report and mitigate our impact on the environment and climate change. At Microsoft, we continue to address our environmental impact in a lean, green and accountable way. In line with that strategy, here are a few examples of our efforts during the reporting period associated with the recognition from CDP and DJSI:
- Be lean. We continued to expand our EnergySmart Buildings program, an enterprise energy management system that identifies and prioritizes energy savings opportunities automatically and continuously.
- Be green. We executed an agreement to purchase 100% of the output of the new 110-megawatt Keechi Wind project outside of Fort Worth, Texas—a project that will deliver renewable energy to the grid beginning in 2015 under a 20-year contract
with Microsoft. We also initiated a demonstration project to power a datacenter using biogas from a wastewater treatment facility, for ultraclean, carbon-neutral electricity. - Be accountable. Our carbon fee model puts a price on carbon emissions and implements rigorous new corporate policies that charge internal business groups a fee for the emissions associated with their use of energy and air travel. The fees that we collect enable us to achieve carbon neutrality by funding emissions reduction initiatives and investing in green power and carbon offset projects. For example, in fiscal year 2013 (FY13) we invested in 1,362,593 MWh (or 1,010,840 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent) of green power, the equivalent of the electricity use of nearly 140,000 homes for a year. (Learn more about our carbon fee.)
For both the CDP and DJSI rankings, the results reflect our initiatives and achievements in FY13.
We’re thrilled by the recognition that we’ve received and we’re hard at work on new initiatives to further reduce our carbon footprint and environmental impact.