bp and Microsoft Corp. have agreed to collaborate as strategic partners on Sept. 15 to further digital transformation ‎in energy systems and advance the net zero carbon goals of both companies. This includes a co-‎innovation effort focused on digital solutions, the continued use of Microsoft Azure as a cloud-based ‎solution for bp infrastructure and bp supplying renewable energy to help Microsoft meet its 2025 ‎renewable energy goals.‎

‎“bp is determined to get to net zero and to help the world do the same. No one can do it alone – ‎partnerships with leading companies like Microsoft, with aligned ambitions, are going to be key to ‎achieving this,” William Lin, bp executive vice president for regions, cities & solutions, said. “By ‎bringing our complementary skills and experience together, we are not only helping each other ‎achieve our decarbonization ambitions but also creating opportunities to support others on their ‎journey towards reducing carbon emissions.”‎ 

Earlier this year, bp revealed its ambition to become a net zero emissions company by 2050 or ‎sooner, and to help the world reach net zero. By the end of the decade, it aims to have developed ‎around 50 gigawatts of net renewable generating capacity—a 20-fold increase on what it has ‎previously developed, increased annual low carbon investment 10-fold to around $5 billion and cut oil ‎and gas production by 40%. In January 2020, Microsoft uveiled its goal to be carbon negative by ‎‎2030 and remove more carbon from the environment than it has emitted since its founding by 2050. ‎

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by bp and Microsoft recognizes the capabilities that ‎each company can provide to accelerate progress towards each’s sustainability goals and help the ‎world decarbonize.

The co-innovation effort will initially be focused on four areas that combine ‎Microsoft’s digital expertise with bp’s deep understanding of energy markets:‎ smart and clean cities—identifying synergies between Microsoft’s ‘Smart Cities’ initiative and ‎bp’s ‘Clean Cities’ vision, with a goal of identifying areas for strategic collaboration to help ‎cities achieve their sustainability aims; clean energy parks—co-development of innovative, clean energy parks with an ecosystem of ‎low carbon technologies such as carbon capture use and storage (CCUS) to prevent or reduce ‎emissions; consumer energy—exploring innovative ways to harness the power of data-driven, ‎personalized, actionable insights to empower energy consumers to manage their home energy ‎use and reduce carbon emissions; and Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) solutions—delivering an ‘intelligent edge’ of capabilities to bp ‎production and operations facilities. ‎

For both bp and Microsoft, low carbon is part of a wider sustainability agenda and the companies aim to deepen ‎collaboration in this area over time.‎