ENVIRONMENT: Corporate giants move on climate change

Microsoft Corp. reported that the first investment for its $ 1 billion climate fund will go to venture capital firm Energy Impact Partners.

The software maker has also joined Nike Inc., Starbucks Corp., Unilever NV, and Danone SA in a new consortium dedicated to sharing resources and tactics to reduce carbon emissions, joining the efforts of some of the world’s largest companies. who are committed to taking action against climate change.

The software giant’s $ 50 million investment will bolster Energy Impact Partners’ support of new technologies for greener energy and transportation systems. The New York-based venture capital firm is a fund backed by a utility company with $ 1.2 billion in assets under management, and has invested both in companies that make software to improve power grids and in Urbint, an artificial intelligence company that has methane capture technology.

Microsoft announced in January that, by 2030, it plans to be a carbon-negative company, removing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it emits, and allocated $1 billion to a climate innovation fund to invest in ways to reduce and eliminate emissions. carbon, one of the most powerful corporate plans.

By 2050, the company plans to eliminate the equivalent of all of its emissions since Microsoft’s founding in 1975.

Amazon . com Inc. also made a commitment to be carbon neutral and has recruited other companies to join.

Both tech giants have been criticized by climate activists for continuing to provide cloud computing services to large oil and gas producers.

Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, also said it will partner with Sol Systems, a renewable energy investor and developer, on 500 megawatts of solar power, Microsoft’s largest renewable energy portfolio investment. That will include at least $ 50 million in investments in the regions of the United States most affected by environmental problems.

The projects will prioritize businesses owned by women and minorities and will include funds for jobs, training and habitat restoration.

According to the Association of Solar Energy Industries, that amount of solar energy is enough to power approximately 95,000 homes.

Called Transform to Net Zero, the group also includes automaker Mercedes-Benz AG; Danish shipping giant AP Moller-Maersk A / S; Indian information technology firm Wipro Ltd; and Natura & Co., the Brazilian cosmetics firm that owns Avon.

The alliance, which plans to recruit other members, will work with the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund, and share information on reducing emissions, investing in carbon-reducing technology, and coordinating public policy goals. .

Additionally, Microsoft intends to stop using diesel in its data centers by 2030.

Fuel is generally used as a backup power source for cloud data center