bp signs new deal with Microsoft

Is it possible to drive digital innovation and create lasting sustainable change? We think so. So does Microsoft. That’s why our two companies have announced a major new strategic partnership designed to do just that. It’s all part of bp’s aim to work with cities, key industries and major corporates to help them develop their decarbonization plans. William Lin, bp executive vice president for regions, cities & solutions, explains our approach

bp and Microsoft will work together on a co-innovation effort that will explore everything from ways to help customers control their home energy use and cut carbon dioxide emissions to the development of clean energy parks powered by next-generation technologies. 

But that’s not all. We’ve also extended our agreement to use Microsoft Azure cloud services – giving us access to a host of tools, including machine learning and data analytics. And we’ve signed a framework agreement with the aim of supplying Microsoft with renewable energy for their data centres – something that also aligns with our sustainability framework priority to provide more clean energy for more people. 

William Lin, bp executive vice president for regions, cities & solutions, says: “By bringing our complementary skills and experience together, we are not only helping each other to achieve our decarbonization ambitions, but also creating opportunities to support others on their journey towards reducing carbon emissions.”

Lin adds: “Microsoft is a good example of a high-tech corporate we have had a long relationship with and are now embarking on a new chapter of cooperation.”

Lin and his team have been behind bp’s new deals with cities too, most recently announcing that we have partnered with Aberdeen – the second city after Houston we are working with –  and all part of our aim to support decarbonization in the world’s major cities.

 
These are all big moves towards our net zero aims, part of our long-term strategy to help countries, cities and industries with their decarbonization goals, and to focus on 10-15 cities and three industrial sectors, which are high-tech and consumer products, heavy transport (including aviation, marine and land freight), and heavy industrials (including cement and steel).

Lin says: “The transition to a lower carbon future is incredibly complex. It requires long-term financial commitments, in an environment where there is regulatory and technical uncertainty, and integration of existing and emerging technologies.”

“We will identify and deliver integrated energy and mobility solutions to help customers decarbonize by bringing together bp’s capabilities, products and services, and with our ‎partners, creating value greater than the sum of its parts.” 

Cities will be prioritized based on their own decarbonization goals and our relationships with them, while looking at the scale or potential role of these cities within their regions and countries in terms of the ability to build adjacent opportunities. Industrial corridors  ̶  areas with a dense population of industry, in effect, a cross-over between cities and industries  ̶  will also be considered.

On the corporate front, we will prioritize three industrial sectors: high-tech and consumer products, heavy transport and heavy industry. These industries currently have significant carbon emissions to manage, are under pressure to decarbonize, and, therefore, we believe our products and services can support their energy transition journeys.