Microsoft is trying to appease internal employees and explain to them that the company's data centers have a positive impact on society. An internal email sent to all employees by Microsoft development director Noel Walsh this week shows that many employees continue to raise questions about energy consumption, water consumption, carbon emissions, and the impact of large data centers on local communities. Walsh acknowledged that the artificial intelligence business made it more difficult for the company to deliver on previous carbon emissions related commitments. However, she also mentioned that hardware energy efficiency and water usage indicators have all recently improved, and the company is also planning to build a renewable energy project on a scale of tens of gigawatts. In her email, she wrote that data center construction must “strictly abide by guidelines, maintain transparency, and continue to work to reduce negative impacts and amplify social benefits.”

Microsoft is trying to appease internal employees and explain to them that the company's data centers have a positive impact on society. An internal email sent to all employees by Microsoft development director Noel Walsh this week shows that many employees continue to raise questions about energy consumption, water consumption, carbon emissions, and the impact of large data centers on local communities. Walsh acknowledged that the artificial intelligence business made it more difficult for the company to deliver on previous carbon emissions related commitments. However, she also mentioned that hardware energy efficiency and water usage indicators have all recently improved, and the company is also planning to build a renewable energy project on a scale of tens of gigawatts. In her email, she wrote that data center construction must “strictly abide by guidelines, maintain transparency, and continue to work to reduce negative impacts and amplify social benefits.”