ABB has announced that Microsoft has joined its Energy Efficiency Movement.
Running for just over a year, the movement is a multi-stakeholder initiative to raise awareness and spur action to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions to combat climate change. Companies are invited to join the movement and make a public pledge as a way of inspiring others to take action. Microsoft represents one of the largest corporate partners to join the initiative to date.
A recent survey commissioned by ABB found that energy efficiency is clearly top of mind for executives around the world. It revealed that 89% of industrial leaders surveyed will increase investment in the energy efficiency of their operations in the coming five years, with 54% aiming to achieve net-zero emissions in that timeframe.
Tarak Mehta, President, Motion business area, ABB, said: “The greenest energy is the energy we never use. With 45% of the world’s electricity used to power motors in buildings and industry, improving energy efficiency is an essential strategy to fight climate change. Digitally connected energy-efficient solutions are critical to accelerating progress and I am delighted Microsoft and ABB are making common cause to enable greater energy efficiency in our operations and those of our customers.”
Elisabeth Brinton, Corporate Vice President Sustainability, Microsoft, said: “Microsoft is joining the ABB Energy Efficiency Movement to help accelerate global progress on energy efficiency and carbon reduction. It is committed to become carbon negative by 2030 and 100 percent powered by renewable electricity by 2025, and these goals are well aligned to both ABB and the Movement’s aims. This will further support our existing collaboration to help customers in sectors like manufacturing, transportation, and cities to make better decisions at scale and drive meaningful efficiency gains.”
ABB reduced greenhouse gas emissions from its operations in 2021 by 28% on a year-over-year basis. In its Sustainability strategy 2030, ABB has affirmed it will reach carbon neutrality by the end of the decade.
Having recently celebrated five years of successful collaboration in the context of ABB Ability – ABB’s portfolio of digital solutions – the announcement regarding the Energy Efficiency Movement further cements Microsoft and ABB’s joint efforts to push technology boundaries in empowering customers to address sustainability.
Using Microsoft Azure’s platform-as-a-service capability, along with AI and machine learning-based analytics, cloud computing and edge technologies, ABB Ability solutions are powering a range of industrial use cases that help organisations optimise how they make use of energy in powertrains, facilities and other physical assets.
