Microsoft Works to Empower People, Strengthen Communities, and Protect Our Planet

Oct 24, 2018 3:00 PM ET

As Microsoft pursues its mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more, there is great opportunity for their customers, partners and company.  With that opportunity comes a great responsibility to society. That is why Microsoft continuously works to apply the power of technology to empower all people, strengthen communities globally and protect our planet. It is also why their policies and business practices are rooted in a commitment to timeless values such as trust, privacy, inclusion, and transparency.  

This commitment not only guides the products and services they develop, but also how they operate around the world. While progress has been made and they have worked to create an impact addressing important societal issues during fiscal year 2018- they recognize there is much work to be done. Microsoft customers, partners, and stakeholders continue to hold the company to high standards. 

Impact at a glance:

Empowering people: Working to help everyone achieve more.  

  • 61 technology companies joined their program and signed the Cybersecurity Tech Accord 
  • $3 billion was spent with minority, disabled, veteran, and woman owned businesses in FY18 
  • More than 12 million young people have been provided with computer science learning experiences through 97 nonprofits in 54 countries
  • 1,000+ technology professional volunteers were paired with classroom teachers to provide computer science education to 13,000 students in 342 U.S. high schools
  • 96 million learners around the world have participated in a Minecraft Hour of Code tutorial since 2015 

Strengthening communities: Advancing social and economic opportunity.  

  • $1.4 billion in software and services have been donated, with a pledge to bring the benefits of the cloud to 300,000 nonprofits in three years
  • $158 million has been donated by Microsoft employees to nonprofits serving our local communities and the world
  • 196,384 nonprofit organizations have been served to date  
  • $30 million in technology and cash donations provided to emergency response organizations and organizations serving refugees  

Protecting our planet: Safeguarding our planet’s most valuable resources.  

  • 100% carbon neutral operations have been attained, and Microsoft surpassed their goal of sourcing 50% of the electricity used by their datacenters from renewable energy sources by the end of 2018 
  • $50 million over five years dedicated to getting cloud and AI tools in the hands of those solving global environmental challenges  
  • 20% reduction in product packaging weight for new devices in FY18  

Microsoft is committed to help customers make informed choices about their products and services and to ensure all stakeholders can evaluate their commitment to corporate social responsibility.  

To learn more about how Microsoft meets their CSR commitments, explore the full 2018 CSR Report at Microsoft.com/CSR

Media Contact:
Microsoft Media Relations

Read the Report