BBC uses Microsoft tool to monitor environmental impact

BBC uses Microsoft tool to monitor environmental impact

Unsplash/K. Mitch Hodge

Sustainability Manager allows the broadcaster to verify data and track progress towards net zero 

Amber Hickman |


The BBC’s sustainability team is using Microsoft Sustainability Manager to manage carbon emissions, view performance and progress towards goals for net zero. 

“If you have signed up for science-based targets and a net-zero goal, you need a tool like Microsoft’s Sustainability Manager to gather and consolidate data into one reliable source,” said Danielle Mulder, group director of sustainability at the BBC, in an interview with Microsoft. “It gives you one version of the truth, and you can make informed decisions based on accurate information.” 

The solution tracks the BBC’s energy consumption, travel and waste generation. This is helping the broadcaster to identify areas where it is using resources inefficiently and change strategies accordingly. 

The BBC has already achieved a 15 per cent reduction in emissions, and Mulder’s remit is for it to achieve net zero by 2030. Her targets are split into three categories: scope one, which includes direct fossil fuels, scope two, including electricity, and scope three, including indirect emissions such as those from supply chains. 

“Our implementation of Microsoft Sustainability Manager goes all the way down from division level to cost centre level, so we have a holistic overview,” said Mulder. “It enables us to capture the carbon emissions related to each cost centre and that’s powerful.” 

“From the production through to the end user, technology is the red thread through it all,” said Mulder. “It underpins a lot of what the media system does, from production technology to how we transmit and distribute data. Cloud services also play a role – we need to know how efficient that technology is in terms of energy consumption.” 

The BBC is also incorporating sustainability messages through its broadcasting and has collaboration goals with other UK broadcasters. 

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