Which tools does Microsoft provide for measuring the CO2 emissions of Microsoft Azure?

Question

Hi,

For my Advanced Business Management studies, I am currently working on a project focused on the CO2 emissions of the Microsoft Azure data platform. For this, I am looking for the tools that Microsoft provides to measure the CO2 emissions of Azure. I have been searching for a few days, but I feel overwhelmed by the vast amount of documentation, and I am having trouble finding my way through it. The following tools I have found are:

• Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability
• Microsoft Sustainability Manager
• Azure Emission Insights
• Azure Carbon Optimization
• Azure Emission Impact Dashboard
• Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability REST API
• Carbon Service
• List Carbon Emission Reports API

I have a few questions about these:

• Could you please clarify the differences between all these tools?
• Additionally, I am not entirely clear on what exactly Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability does. The Microsoft website gives me the impression that Microsoft Sustainability Manager, Azure Emission Insights, Azure Carbon Optimization, and Azure Emission Impact Dashboard are all tools that fall under "Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability." Is this correct? If not, are they connected in any way?
• What data does the 'Carbon Service - List Carbon Emission Reports API' retrieve, and is this the underlying data for 'Azure Carbon Optimization'?

Thank you so much in advance! Your help will be invaluable to me.

Answer 1

Hey Dominique, dude, be ready for a long read, sorry, but there's no other way to explain for MSFT have :).

Microsoft’s documentation can be a maze sometimes, especially when u’re diving into something as specific as CO2 emissions for Azure. Let me try to simplify this for u, ‘cause I’ve been down this rabbit hole before.

So lets overview the tools it is +- 6 items or so (at the end 7 :)

1. Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability This is like the big umbrella. It’s a suite of tools and services designed to help organizations track, measure, and reduce their environmental impact, including CO2 emissions. Think of it as the parent of a bunch of other tools.
2. Microsoft Sustainability Manager

This is one of the main tools under the Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability. It’s like the dashboard where u can see all your sustainability data, including emissions. It helps u collect, analyze, and report on your environmental impact.

3. Azure Emission Insights

This is more specific to Azure. It gives u detailed insights into the emissions generated by your Azure resources. It’s like a magnifying glass for your cloud carbon footprint.

4. Azure Carbon Optimization

This tool helps u optimize your Azure usage to reduce emissions. It’s like a coach that tells u, Hey, maybe u don’t need that VM running 24/7, or Switch to this region for lower emissions.

5. Azure Emission Impact Dashboard

This is a visual tool that shows u the impact of your Azure services on emissions. It’s like a report card for your cloud’s environmental performance.

6. Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability REST API

This is for the techies. It lets u programmatically access sustainability data, so u can build custom solutions or integrate it into your own apps.

7. Carbon Service - List Carbon Emission Reports API

This API retrieves carbon emission reports, which are basically the raw data about your emissions. It’s the backbone for tools like Azure Carbon Optimization, giving them the data they need to work their magic.

Now lets clarify how they’re connected. Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability is the big picture. It includes tools like Microsoft Sustainability Manager, Azure Emission Insights, Azure Carbon Optimization, and Azure Emission Impact Dashboard. These tools are all part of the same ecosystem, working together to help u measure and reduce emissions.

The Carbon Service, list Carbon Emission Reports API is like the data source. It provides the raw emission data that tools like Azure Carbon Optimization use to give u recommendations.

Data Does the API Retrieve. The Carbon Service List Carbon Emission Reports API pulls carbon emission reports, which include some details

Total CO2 emissions, Emissions by service or resource, Regional emissions (since Azure data centers in different regions have different carbon footprints).

Time-based data (e.g., emissions over a specific period). This data is used by tools like Azure Carbon Optimization to give u actionable insights, like which resources u can scale down or move to a greener region. )))) So something like that ))))

Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability eq The big suite.

Microsoft Sustainability Manager eq Your main dashboard.

Azure Emission Insights eq Detailed Azure emissions data.

Azure Carbon Optimization eq Tips to reduce emissions.

Azure Emission Impact Dashboard eq Visual report of your emissions.

Carbon Service API eq The raw data behind it all.

Hope this clears things up if u’re still stuck, check out some online Azure training...

rgds,

Alex