Ireland community investments

Our Datacenter Community Pledge builds on the meaningful partnerships we have formed with communities around the world. One of these core areas in the realm of contributing to a sustainable future. In Ireland, we have focused on the below partnerships and investments to help progress this aim:

• Helping de-carbonise the Irish power grid through investing in 900MW of solar and wind – contributing almost 30 per cent of Ireland’s CPPA target by 2030. To make this possible Microsoft has entered into multi-year Corporate Power Purchase Agreements with Statkraft, Energia Group, and Power Capital Renewable Energy, related to the development of onshore wind and solar energy projects across Ireland.
• Over 20,000 trees planted in communities we operate in in 2023 & 2024, working with partners including The Green Economy Foundation, Forests for Schools and One Tree Planted.
• We have committed to achieving net-zero by 2030, and this includes our use of low-carbon, bio-diesels as back-up fuel sources on DCs, as well as leading research and development into the use of green hydrogen to power our datacenters.
• Working in partnership with third level education and supporting the Science Foundation Ireland with €5 million of funding, for the Terrain AI climate change project. This aims to improving understanding of the impact of human activity on land use and how it relates to climate change.

A key aspect of our Datacenter Community Pledge is to advance community prosperity and well-being in the areas where we operate. Some of the main partnerships and initiatives include:

• Delivering Dream Space to thousands of Irish pupils. This immersive, research-based STEM experience for students, teachers and communities, enhances STEM skills alongside crucial social-emotional skills such as empathy, creativity, ethical decision making and collaboration. Dream Space empowers everyone to see the power of digital technology in exciting new ways.
• Developing the Maynooth Foundation Dream Space Teacher Fellowship which is an expanded teacher fellowship program to support STEM and datacenter skills training. It is focused on helping pre-service teachers to use the 21st-century learning by design methodology in their teaching and finds placements for the teachers in schools across Leinster to deliver three newly developed digital lessons.
• Along with Maynooth University, we have developed the All-Ireland STEM Passport for Inclusion, which supports young women through an accredited programme providing points towards university admission. Since 2021 over 5,000 girls  have benefited from the initiative.
• Working with Collinstown Park Community College and Technical University Dublin to deliver the Datacenter Academy Programme we have created local education and employment pathways for data center & ICT careers including internships and apprenticeship at Microsoft.
• Partnering with Generation to deliver digital skilling and data bootcamps – supporting and those seeking reskilling – priortising applicants and students from close to areas where we operate data centers, on a pathway to a new digital career.
• Working with Junior Achievement Ireland to delivering the Career Ready project to students in five West Dublin schools, designed to bring transition year pupils through an 18 month employability programme.

Our Datacenter Community Pledge builds on meaningful partnerships we have formed with communities around the world. One of these core areas is our commitment to operate as a good neighbour. In Ireland, we have focused on the below partnerships and investments to help realise this aim:

• Delivering support and funding to grassroots community organisations in the areas near our datacenters – through working in partnership with Change X International. Change X is a community engagement platform that, with Microsoft’s support, has funded 66 community groups in the Dublin region and which benefited more than 4,500 people. Key goals are to launch new local projects in the region around environmental sustainability, contributing to more sustainable, liveable and inclusive communities.
• Partnering with charities and voluntary organisations in communities where we can direct funding and support through volunteering hours. Just one example of this Peamount Healthcare, which is an independent body that provides a range of high-quality rehabilitation, residential, and community services. We supported the development of new green spaces and boosted bio-diversity – planting over 4,500 native trees, creating three new orchards – with 70 Microsoft volunteers spending two days on the 65-acre site to complete the project.
• Helping the Irish Wheelchair Association by purchasing a new accessible bus that will enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities in the Dublin area. By providing inclusive mobility options, the Irish Wheelchair Association can achieve the full inclusion and integration of those with disabilities in our society.