With the crucial want to attain world net-zero emissions and handle rising reporting necessities, corporations are focusing an incredible deal on decreasing carbon emissions. However they’re additionally rising efforts round water, waste, and different areas of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) efficiency.

On this weblog, study this month’s preview updates to Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability, enabling extra highly effective waste knowledge administration. And uncover Tech Talks, a brand new dialogue collection geared toward serving to organizations implement and drive worth from Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability sooner.

Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability

Speed up your sustainability journey.

Observe your group’s waste knowledge administration effectivity (preview)

The brand new waste capabilities in Microsoft Sustainability Supervisor allow you to simply meet waste disclosure necessities and perceive your waste administration effectivity at a company or facility stage based mostly on customary metrics. Observe your waste depth, restoration charge, and diversion charge KPIs in waste-related experiences.

Help circularity with updates to the waste knowledge mannequin (preview)

The Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability waste knowledge mannequin permits organizations to unify, standardize, and put together waste sustainability knowledge to make progress towards net-zero waste sustainability targets. Utilizing waste knowledge mannequin entities, which allow storing waste amount and high quality traits and sustainability reference knowledge, you possibly can extra effectively report waste sustainability disclosures in compliance with varied regulatory requirements. And you may streamline your reporting course of, guarantee correct waste metrics, and reveal your dedication to sustainable practices.

With our newest updates to the waste knowledge mannequin, you possibly can observe round economic system (or circularity) metrics, comparable to these included in GRI-301 and CSRD ESRS E5, that are based mostly on materials influx and outflow associated to items manufacturing. Document and report metadata and exercise knowledge round using non-virgin (reused or recycled) and renewable uncooked supplies, together with elements, to fabricate completed merchandise and the diploma of circularity of the completed merchandise, together with packaging materials.

The info mannequin consists of entities that assist file manufacturing and circularity-related metadata that’s required to calculate the weights of renewable, reused, and recycled uncooked supplies in completed merchandise.

Tech Talks: Get extra out of Microsoft sustainability know-how, sooner

There’s a ton to study sustainability innovation to speculate effectively and drive worth sooner. For organizations that wish to velocity up their studying about Microsoft sustainability applied sciences, we suggest our new Tech Speak collection on Microsoft Study.  

These expert-driven, actionable discussions introduce you to the folks behind the applied sciences. Get wealthy views on high-level ideas in addition to deeper product info, reside demos, and really helpful actions. We base Tech Talks on actual buyer questions so you possibly can speed up your breakthroughs whereas we maintain refining the applied sciences. 

Right here’s a snapshot of our first three episodes, hosted by Gina Kirby, a International Black Belt with the Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability staff who works immediately with clients. Have a watch.

Shaping the long run with scorecards and targets

Gina usually hears the query: “What’s the aim of a scorecard?” In easy phrases, a scorecard in Microsoft Sustainability Supervisor is a container for associated targets. It may be used to trace targets related to a single class, like decreasing Scope 1 emissions, or extra broadly to trace sustainability targets for a set interval, comparable to the present reporting interval or a future timeframe. No matter your focused outcomes, targets in Microsoft Sustainability Supervisor are invaluable for serving to to outline, observe, and make choices round them.  

On this Tech Speak, Principal Program Supervisor Kevin Magarian reveals you how one can create a sustainability scorecard (spoiler: it’s tremendous easy) and targets. Discover the completely different values assigned to targets and the most effective methods to trace and monitor the standing of those targets. Depart the session able to sort out your organizational sustainability targets for achievement. 

Get solutions to questions like:  

• What’s the aim of a scorecard? 
• How do I set up and observe in opposition to a baseline? 
• How can I routinely observe progress? 

Importing knowledge effectively, each time

Relating to sustainability know-how, knowledge represents the beating coronary heart of progress—and environment friendly knowledge importing is vital. In any case, how can we enhance our ESG practices if we don’t keenly perceive the place we stand? To get to this understanding, and furthermore to behave on it, first we should successfully harness knowledge that’s scattered and numerous. 

On this session hear from Tafazzul Khan, a Principal Program Supervisor for Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability, concerning the significance of information within the sustainability journey. See how Microsoft Sustainability Supervisor helps you optimize administration of carbon, water, and waste knowledge whereas standardizing processes and adaptability for knowledge ingestion and administration. Grasp the necessity for consistency and scalability in managing your knowledge. Achieve from related product demos. And study associate options out there that can assist you expedite progress. 

Bust these misconceptions about knowledge ingestion: 

• Fantasy #1: Information ingestion is sophisticated. 
• Fantasy #2: Information perfection is required earlier than you begin. 
• Fantasy #3: Importing knowledge is a one-time course of. 
• Fantasy #4: Importing knowledge is a one-size-fits-all course of. 

Demystifying carbon accounting towards world net-zero

Whether or not you’re acquainted with carbon accounting or new to it, this session with Laila Moretti, a Senior Program Supervisor with Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability, gives perspective on the method of quantifying greenhouse gases produced immediately or not directly by a company that’s so necessary for our collective progress to net-zero. Study the advantages—from figuring out baselines to discovering alternatives for enchancment, making sooner and higher choices, and attaining transparency for shoppers and shareholders.

You’ll additionally get an outline of carbon accounting inside Microsoft Sustainability Supervisor, together with loading reference knowledge, ingesting exercise knowledge, working calculations, and reviewing emissions knowledge. Watch an in depth demo of organising an emissions calculation and depart with suggestions for finetuning your personal calculations.

Keep tuned for upcoming periods on Microsoft Sustainability Supervisor and past

We’re cranking out extra Tech Talks to reply your urgent questions, beginning with three episodes about Microsoft Sustainability Supervisor, coming quickly.  

In Introducing Microsoft Sustainability Supervisor, Principal Group Program Supervisor for Microsoft Sustainability Robin Smith demonstrates the product’s scope of capabilities, its strengths and usefulness to your group, and the way it works in a buyer state of affairs. 

Attending to Worth Rapidly with Alejandro Gutierrez, Sustainability Principal Program Supervisor, covers the implementation journey—from putting in and organising Microsoft Sustainability Supervisor to utilizing built-in studying options, demo knowledge, and the Microsoft Cloud Answer Heart.  

Introducing Microsoft Sustainability Supervisor Water Information Capabilities options Sourav Chakraborty, Principal PM Supervisor. Get info to onboard a facility or website to trace and report water amount knowledge, gather water amount knowledge, set water sustainability targets, report sustainable water use for ESG disclosures, and extra. 

Verify Microsoft Studying for these and different periods, masking a broad vary of sustainability matters. Not but utilizing Microsoft Sustainability Supervisor? Attempt it free and study extra.

Speed up your sustainability progress with extra assets

Broaden your all-up sustainability information. The sustainability journey is rife with studying alternatives. No matter your space of curiosity or information hole, discover info to handle it on the Microsoft Sustainability Studying Heart.

Get information and updates. We’re always innovating to assist our clients’ monitoring and reporting of ESG progress. Join to obtain electronic mail updates.

Discover associate sustainability options to your trade. Discover consultants and options that may aid you handle your distinctive ESG knowledge administration wants, on Microsoft AppSource.