Cloud Direct Sustainability commitment

Cloud Direct helps customers ‘Grow Greener’

We recognise the responsibility and opportunity to manage the impact our services have on the environment. We are committed to reducing not only our own carbon emissions, but our customers. And here’s now we’re going to do it.  

Sustainability commitment and actions

Here’s an overview of the sustainability actions we’ve committed to

 

Grow Greener

We launched our grow greener pledge on Earth Day in April 2022. This focuses on helping customers grow their businesses in a sustainable way. We work with ambitious and innovative businesses that want to grow – but recognise it can’t be at the cost of the environment.  

Our grow greener approach includes helping businesses measure the carbon emissions of their Azure environment. A core element of tracking their Scope 3 Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. We also provide recommendations of how those emissions can be reduced. We plan to further invest in developing our services in this area for customers. 

 

Carbon Emission Targets

We will measure and report on all our scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 2024. And scope 3 by 2025. By 2025 we will set specific targets and an action plan for reducing our scope 1,2 and 3 GHG emissions. With a target of achieving net zero emissions by 2035.  

Environmental Policies 

Hybrid working

We operate a Hybrid Working environment. Staff are trained, equipped and encouraged to consider the environment when managing where they work from. The environmental benefits of this include fewer work-related journeys, less commuting, and increased use of remote video conferencing. 

 

Environmental training

We aim for all staff to have completed environmental training by 2023. This education helps individuals and teams to consider how they can minimise their own, and the businesses, environmental impact. 

 

Sustainable equipment

All electronic equipment is repaired, reused, or recycled. 

 

Green procurement

We will offer a Green Devices Policy to ensure we procure equipment that helps us, and our customers, reach their sustainability targets. This includes: 

Procurement

Standardising available models on EPEAT Gold certified devices and ensuring a minimum device life cycle of three years. 

Logistics

Regional logistics hubs provide order consolidation to avoid unnecessary deliveries and repair capabilities to enhance equipment lifecycles.  

Delivery

Eco-friendly delivery partners providing bundled deliveries for each destination.

Support

Asset tracking and management to ensure all delivered devices are either in use, handed over to depot service for re-imaging, or released for end-of-life processing.

End of life

 Refurbishment through second- and third-life extension, as well as environmentally friendly recycling through urban scrapping 

ESG team

We have an internal team of volunteers for our ESG team to help align the business to our objectives and seek ways we can continue to improve our impact across the business. This includes developing an ESG strategy guided by the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and regular company-wide sustainability projects, such as deleting all un-used data. 

Microsoft Cloud First

We are a Microsoft Cloud First organisation which means we use Microsoft Cloud wherever it is the most suitable solution. A 2018 study found that using Microsoft Azure can be up to 93 percent more energy efficient and up to 98 percent more carbon efficient than on-premises solutions. Microsoft Azure will use 100% renewable energy by 2025. Microsoft also has targets to be water positive by 2030 and zero-waste by 2030 and is investing millions of pounds into research and innovation to achieve their sustainability targets.

Helping our customers grow green 

We’re excited to announce that we’ve introduced sustainability reporting and recommendations to our Azure Managed Service. Our customers can now receive regular reports on the carbon footprint of their Azure Environment to help them work towards their sustainability targets. 

Get in contact

If you have any questions, get in contact with us