Microsoft: Promoting environmental justice with EKOenergy

Impactful renewable energy procurement

Renewable energy consumers worldwide are more than ever looking for ways to increase the positive impact of their green power contracts.

One type of impactful renewable energy solutions focuses on social impacts, ecological justice, and community involvement. Companies of all sizes and sectors are showing growing interest in such solutions.

EKOenergy’s approach fits that string very well. Solidarity and cooperation are at the core of EKOenergy’s work. This is most tangible in the activities of our Climate Fund. That fund, to which all EKOenergy users contribute a minimum of €0.10/MWh, is a pragmatic and flexible solution to expand the benefits of the energy transition to disadvantaged communities. The label is also a tool for fostering solidarity between renewable energy users worldwide.

As a concrete tool for impactful power procurement, EKOenergy has the additional advantage of being available worldwide for all sorts of consumers. Also, remember that choosing EKOenergy doesn’t exclude the simultaneous implementation of other solutions and preferences. EKOenergy can come from community-owned projects or local installations, can be procured via PPAs or tracked 24/7, and much more.

Microsoft partners with EKOenergy to incorporate environmental justice principles into their electricity procurement

Microsoft is one of the companies with a solid commitment to environmental justice. We are very proud that their search for impactful solutions and environmental justice led them to EKOenergy!

Here is what they wrote in their just-published 2024 Environmental Sustainability Report:

Microsoft continues to build and scale carbon-free electricity through our procurement of renewable energy and investing to bring more carbon-free electricity onto the grids where we operate. As one of the largest corporate purchasers of renewable energy, we continue to seek ways to diversify and scale up the supply of impactful renewable energy and mechanisms enabling access for all. (…)

Incorporating environmental justice principles into our carbon-free electricity procurement, we partnered with EKOenergy’s Climate Fund to enable the installation of solar-powered refrigeration for a Kenyan fishing village, offering ice and clean water at 20% lower prices for 2,000 households and addressing food security and economic hardship by reducing fish harvest loss.” (See page 18 of the report.)

Published: 5 June 2024