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Corporate Social Responsibility
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Reporting governance and approach

Empowering every person and every organization to achieve more requires careful attention to the impact of our business practices, policies, and community investments.

Our policies and practices

We work to apply the power of technology to earn and sustain the trust of the customers and partners we empower and the communities in which we live and work. This focus extends to our work to build an inclusive and sustainable future where everyone has access to the benefits and opportunities that technology can bring. It’s central to our mission to empower every person and organization to achieve more, and it's why many of our employees come to work every day.

Working together with stakeholders

We know that the decisions we make affect our employees, customers, partners, shareholders, suppliers, and communities, and we take their voices into account. Microsoft receives input from millions of people each year—from individual customers to policymakers and global human rights specialists. We bring outside perspectives into the company and inform our business decisions through a variety of feedback channels. We go beyond formal channels, proactively engaging with key stakeholders, advocacy groups, industry experts, corporate responsibility rating agencies, impact-focused investors, and many others. We also share our learnings and practices to help generate industry dialogue, inform public debate, and advance greater progress.

Identifying material issues

Our reporting describes those topics which we consider to be the most important to stakeholders when evaluating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues at Microsoft. Therefore, ESG materiality in our reporting does not directly correspond to the concept of materiality used in securities law.

 

A listing of what we currently identify and categorize as our top ESG issues can be found below. Microsoft conducted a materiality assessment focused on environmental sustainability, which can be accessed in the 2020 Environmental Sustainability Report.

  • Climate and Energy

  • Ethics and Integrity (including governance, responsible competition, responsible AI, responsible policy engagement)

  • Human Capital (including culture and development, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and well-being)

  • Human Rights

  • Natural Resources (water, waste, and ecosystems)

  • Privacy and Data Security/Cybersecurity

  • Inclusive Economic Growth (including accessibility, skilling, racial equity)

  • Responsible Sourcing (including product lifecycle management)

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We see the big picture

Microsoft works with our leaders across business and operations to drive companywide approaches to corporate responsibility issues.
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Reporting our progress

We want to help customers make informed choices about our products and services and ensure stakeholders can evaluate how we are meeting our commitments and responsibilities. Our reporting materials include both a fiscal year-end report on our progress, as well as an array of related supplemental reports and resources.

Aligning our values

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