On 1st August 2024, Microsoft announced that Azure Carbon Optimisation is in public preview. It provides customers with a dashboard with insights and data regarding their Azure Cloud’s carbon emission. Through this dashboard, users can analyse how much carbon emission their Azure Cloud workloads have produced, whether their carbon emissions have been trending upwards, and how they can possibly help reduce their carbon emission.
Who will benefit from this?
The Paris Agreement was signed in 2016, which aims to keep the global temperature rise low. Following this event, companies around the world have launched initiatives to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. These companies who have parts, if not all, of their infrastructure workload on Azure Cloud will benefit from this.
What is net zero emission?
Net-zero emission is achieved by ensuring that all emissions released by human activities are counterbalanced by removing carbon from the atmosphere.
In order to achieve that goal, the company must first minimise their carbon emission, which can be done through various methods, one of them being reducing the amount of electricity consumed by the company. The emissions that cannot be eliminated should be counterbalanced by carbon removal, which can be done via planting trees, switching to LED bulbs, or recycling.
What can I see from Azure Carbon Optimization?
From the “Emission Trends” page, users can see their total carbon emission in one or more subscriptions / resource groups every month. This allows users to see the trend of their Azure workload’s carbon emission and ensure that it is in line with what they have planned for their zero emission initiative.
Additionally, the page splits the emissions into 3 scopes:
– Scope 1 – direct greenhouse gas emissions from onsite fuel combustion (generators, vehicle fleet)
– Scope 2 – indirect greenhouse gas emissions such as emissions from electricity provider
– Scope 3 – other indirect greenhouse gas emissions from the value chain
From the “Emission Details” page, users will be able to dive deeper and find carbon emission data for each resource group, and resource.
Lastly, the “Emission Reductions” page will provide users with recommendations on how they can reduce their carbon emission alongside stats such as potential monthly emission reduction, and potential monthly savings.
How much will this cost?
Azure Carbon Optimization is currently available free of charge during the preview period.
Conclusion
All in all, Azure Carbon Optimization is a great tool for companies looking to reduce their carbon footprint or monthly Azure cost. Seize on the opportunity now while it’s free! If you do need help or advise on how you can better improve your Azure Cloud infrastructure, feel free to contact us. We are more than happy to help.
News Reference:
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/v2/Carbon-Optimization
By KeWin Chung