Microsoft has embarked on a collaboration with shipping company Norden that will help the tech corporation address its Scope 3 emissions.
As part of the partnership, the two companies teamed up on a pilot based on Norden’s biofuel book and claim solution that allows companies whose supply chain includes maritime shipping to access emission reductions through low-carbon fuel usage.
Norden used certified biofuel from waste to power several maritime voyages, an effort that resulted in a reduction of lifecycle emissions by 80-90% when compared to conventional fossil-based fuels.
The project followed the framework provided by the Smart Freight Centre and went through two audit rounds to ensure the calculating and reporting of emissions is done accurately.
While these voyages were not part of the logistics used by Microsoft, the emission reductions generated through these low-carbon fuel journeys were transferred to the tech corporation, helping it tackle its Scope 3 emissions, which have been on the rise due to the construction of AI-powered data centers.
In a broader perspective, over a period of three years, this collaboration with Norden is expected to enable Microsoft to reduce its Scope 3 carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 10,000 tons.
Commenting on this partnership, Anne Jensen, COO at Norden, stated, “With the addition of Microsoft to our portfolio of customers, we are demonstrating that Norden can help any company that is dependent on maritime transportation in reducing its supply chain emissions in the here and now, while we, as a carrier, overcome the challenges of limited geographic availability of low-carbon fuels.”
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As part of this effort, Microsoft and Norden will also engage with the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) for updating RSB’s book and claim system for credible tracking of sustainable maritime fuel claims.
Julia Fidler, environmental sustainability—fuel and material decarbonization lead at Microsoft, said, “This project with Norden, together with our pilot with the RSB, will further develop the important registry infrastructure required to help Microsoft lower our maritime supply chain emissions in a transparent and credible way, while fostering the growth of sustainable maritime fuels.”
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