CO2 Emission Dashboard Analysis of the top three Cloud Providers (AWS, Azure, GCP) 

What is the Cloud Carbon footprint?

The Cloud carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated by a company’s cloud computing operations. This includes the energy used for running software, the energy and resources used to power and cool data centres, as well as the energy and resources used by cloud services such as servers, storage, and networking. The cloud carbon footprint of a company is typically measured in metric tons of CO2 emissions per year.

How is the Cloud Carbon footprint measured?

The Cloud carbon footprint is measured by assessing the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by the cloud infrastructure and also due to running the software in the cloud. This includes measuring the direct emissions from the cloud infrastructure, such as the power usage of servers, cooling systems, and other equipment. It also includes measuring the indirect emissions from the electricity used to power the cloud infrastructure, power used for running software in the cloud as well as from the production and transportation of the materials used to build the cloud infrastructure. The carbon footprint of a cloud infrastructure can be calculated by adding up all of these emissions and then dividing them by the total amount of computing power used by the cloud infrastructure.

Three different scopes of Carbon footprint.

1. Direct Emissions (Scope 1): This refers to emissions produced directly from activities under the control of an organization or individual. Direct scope cloud carbon footprint emissions are the direct emissions associated with a company’s cloud computing activities. This includes the electricity and fuel consumed by cloud computing data centres, as well as any emissions associated with the transport of data between the company and the cloud provider.

2. Indirect Emissions (Scope 2): Scope 2 cloud carbon footprint emissions refer to the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions associated with energy consumed by cloud computing services. This includes any energy consumed to power or cool data centres, as well as the energy used to transport data over the Internet. Scope 2 emissions can come from a variety of sources, such as electricity, natural gas, and diesel.

3. Indirect Emissions (Scope 3): Scope 3 cloud carbon footprint emissions are those associated with the indirect emissions from cloud-based activities, such as the emissions from the manufacture and transport of the hardware used in the cloud, the emissions from the electricity used to power the cloud, and the emissions from the use of services or products purchased for use in the cloud.

What is AWS's Cloud Carbon footprint?

AWS does not have a single cloud carbon footprint, as their cloud operations span multiple data centres located around the world, different energy mixes, the services used, and the customer's usage. AWS has made a commitment to become carbon neutral by 2040. In order to achieve this goal, they are taking steps to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions, such as investing in renewables, increasing energy efficiency, and purchasing carbon offsets. AWS also publishes an annual Sustainability Report that outlines their progress in reducing their carbon footprint.
https://sustainability.aboutam...

Features of AWS's Carbon footprint dashboard

1. Track and Monitor Carbon Footprint: The AWS Carbon Footprint dashboard allows users to track and monitor their carbon emissions over time. It provides an easy-to-use interface to view and analyze carbon emissions data from multiple services, including AWS Global Infrastructure, AWS Services, and AWS Customers.

2. Reduce Emissions: The dashboard also features a number of tools and resources to help users reduce their carbon emissions. These include an emissions calculator, which allows users to estimate their potential carbon savings, an emissions report that provides detailed insights into their emissions impact, and a carbon offset calculator to help users offset their emissions.

3. Compare Emissions with Industry Benchmarks: The AWS Carbon Footprint dashboard also allows users to compare their emissions with industry-wide averages. This information can be used to identify areas where they can make improvements to reduce their carbon footprint.

4. Take Action: The dashboard also provides users with the ability to take action on their carbon emissions. This includes recommending strategies for reducing emissions, tracking progress over time, and taking advantage of available resources.

What is Microsoft Azure's cloud carbon footprint?

Similar to AWS, Microsoft does not have an exact number for the carbon footprint of its Azure cloud services, but the company has committed to reducing its overall carbon footprint by 75% by 2030. Microsoft achieved a 20% reduction in its carbon footprint between 2013 and 2018 and set a goal of powering its data centres with 50% renewable energy by the end of 2018. Microsoft has also established a carbon fee model that holds its internal teams accountable for emissions.

Features of Azure's Carbon footprint dashboard

1. Real-time Insights: Azure's Carbon Footprint Dashboard provides real-time insights into the carbon footprint of your organization’s cloud operations. This includes an overview of your carbon footprint over the last month, as well as a breakdown of your carbon emissions across regions, services, and resource types.

2. Resource Breakdown: The dashboard provides detailed information about your resource utilization, including CPU and memory utilization, as well as the breakdown of energy sources powering your services.

3. Cost Analysis: The dashboard also provides an analysis of your carbon cost and resource cost, including detailed cost breakdowns for each of your services.

4. Carbon Impact: Azure's Carbon Footprint Dashboard also provides an estimate of the carbon impact of your cloud operations. This includes metrics such as the total carbon dioxide emissions from your services and the total carbon emissions avoided by using renewable energy sources.

5. Customizable Reports: The dashboard also provides customizable reports that can be used to track and analyze your carbon footprint over time. You can also create custom reports to get an in-depth view of your carbon emissions.

What is GCP's cloud carbon footprint?

Google does not have a single answer to this question as its carbon footprint varies depending on the data centre location, different energy mix, the services used, and the customer's usage. Google is working to reduce its carbon footprint through the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in its data centres.

Features of GCP's Carbon footprint dashboard:

1. Automated Carbon Footprint Tracking: GCP's Carbon Footprint Dashboard provides automated tracking of your organization's carbon footprint, ensuring accuracy and reducing the time-consuming manual effort of tracking emissions.

2. Automated Carbon Accounting: GCP's Carbon Footprint Dashboard provides automated carbon accounting, with emissions broken down by source and calculated in metric tons of CO2 equivalent (CO2e).

3. Customizable Dashboard: GCP's Carbon Footprint Dashboard offers a customizable dashboard, allowing users to customize the display of metrics to fit their needs.

4. Data Visualization: GCP's Carbon Footprint Dashboard provides data visualization options, allowing users to easily track their emissions over time and understand the impact of their emissions on the environment.

5. Goal-Setting Tools: GCP's Carbon Footprint Dashboard includes goal-setting tools, allowing users to set targets and track progress towards their emissions reduction objectives.

6. Integration with Other GCP Services: GCP's Carbon Footprint Dashboard is fully integrated with other GCP services, allowing users to easily access and manage their emissions data.

Key Takeaways:

Conclusion:

The cloud carbon footprint is a crucial metric that measures the amount of carbon dioxide emissions generated by a company's cloud computing operations. The carbon footprint is calculated by assessing the direct and indirect emissions from the cloud infrastructure and energy used by cloud services. AWS, Microsoft Azure, and GCP have made commitments to reducing their carbon footprint and have developed carbon footprint dashboards to help customers monitor and reduce their own carbon footprint. These dashboards provide real-time insights, resource utilization analysis, cost analysis, carbon impact estimates, and customizable reports. Companies must be mindful of their carbon footprint as it is essential to reducing the impact of technology on the environment.

Resources:

1. AWS: https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/reporting-and-downloads

2. GCP: https://cloud.google.com/sustainability/impact-dashboard/

3. Azure: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/carbon-footprint/

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