Microsoft

1

Define

CarbonNeutral product certification required Microsoft to include all the emissions from the raw materials, manufacture, distribution, use and disposal of the Xbox console, its controllers and its packaging.

2

Measure

To measure these emissions Microsoft worked with an independent third-party organisation which is an expert in emissions analysis, to conduct a life-cycle assessment (LCA) of the greenhouse gas emissions.

This included collecting data on the indirect emissions from the production and transport of raw materials to the manufacturing centres; direct emissions from on-site fossil fuels, purchased electricity associated with production; transportation to distribution centres; emissions associated with the use of the product; and indirect emissions from disposal of the product at end of life

3

Target

Microsoft’s first CarbonNeutral product is a new part of a wider programme of targets to reduce the company’s carbon emissions:

• It has a Science-Based emission reduction target for its value chain emissions which will see it cut by 30 percent per unit of revenue by 2030 from a 2017 baseline.
• It has also committed to cut operational carbon emissions by 75 percent by 2030.

4

Reduce

Microsoft has made the 825,000 Xbox consoles CarbonNeutral today by making reductions to the lifecycle emissions, through purchasing renewable electricity and verified emissions reductions, otherwise known as carbon offsets.

In the decade since the Xbox 360 was launched, Microsoft has made various reductions to the emissions of the product through a dramatic reduction in its energy use: the power consumption per unit of performance of the Xbox One X, launched in 2017, was more than 90% lower than the Xbox 360.

Microsoft is using 100% renewable energy across its manufacturing sites.

Finally, Microsoft has made the Xbox consoles carbon neutral by financing the Sichuan China Biodigesters project.

The project distributes small-scale biogas plants to low-income rural households with livestock in China. Households are equipped with devices that save methane emissions by converting previously untreated animal manure into clean biogas. The biogas can then be used for cooking, heating and lighting instead of burning coal and firewood in open fireplaces. So far the project has reduced carbon dioxide emissions and harmful smoke in 400,000 small-holder farmer households.

Microsoft manufactures its Xbox consoles in China and is working to implement circular economy principles into the product and its packaging. The biodigester project in Sichuan was a good fit both because of its location and its use of a waste product to generate energy. In addition, the project is currently undertaking a study into the benefits it has on water bodies and drainage systems, which is of interest to Microsoft for its own work on water conservation.