View and analyze your Carbon optimization in Azure emission data

Carbon optimization helps you measure, understand, and reduce your cloud carbon footprint by providing detailed emissions data and insights. Use the Carbon optimization page in the Azure portal to analyze emissions trends and take action to improve cloud sustainability and efficiency.

You can analyze emissions by using either the Subscriptions view or the Billing Accounts view:

  • Use the Subscriptions view to analyze selected subscriptions and drill into resource group, resource, resource type, and location-level details.
  • Use the Billing Accounts view to analyze emissions across all subscriptions under an eligible billing account.

View emissions data

  1. Sign in to the Azure portal.
  2. In the search box, type Carbon optimization and select Carbon optimization.
  3. On the Carbon optimization page, use the View dropdown to select Subscriptions or Billing Accounts.

Screenshot of the View dropdown showing Subscriptions and Billing Accounts options.

Select subscriptions

Use the Subscriptions view when you want to analyze emissions for specific subscriptions or drill into resource group and resource-level details.

  1. In the View dropdown, select Subscriptions.
  2. Select up to 100 subscriptions and then select Apply. For more information about the limitation, see the Troubleshooting page.
  3. Use more filters, such as Resource group and Emissions type, to refine the data as needed.

Here's an example of how to select subscriptions: A screenshot showing how to select subscriptions.

Note

The Service dimension was replaced by Resource Type to provide a more accurate view of emissions at the Azure service or product level. The Resource Types tab now groups emissions based on the overall resource you’re using, rather than its individual components. For example, previously, emissions from a virtual machine in an Azure Data Explorer resource were categorized under Virtual Machine. Now, they're categorized under Azure Data Explorer, aligning with the actual Resource Type in use.

Select a billing account

Use the Billing Accounts view when you want to analyze emissions across all subscriptions under an eligible billing account.

  1. In the View dropdown, select Billing Accounts.
  2. In the billing account dropdown, select the billing account you want to analyze.
  3. Review emissions data for the selected billing account.

Screenshot of the Billing Accounts view with the billing account dropdown open.

The Billing Accounts view shows one billing account at a time. Data in this view is shown at subscription-level granularity. The 100-subscription selection limit doesn't apply to the Billing Accounts view. Use the Subscriptions view when you need resource group or resource-level details.

The Emissions Trends page helps you track patterns in your cloud emissions and understand key contributing factors.

Here's an example image of the emissions trends page:

A screenshot showing the emissions trends page.

  • Monthly Trends - View your emissions trends over the last 12 months to assess trends and performance over time.
  • Breakdown by emissions type - Hover over a bar in the chart to see emissions categorized by scope. Information is provided for Scope 1, Scope 2 Market, and Scope 3. For more information about scopes, see Scope 1, 2, and 3.
  • Breakdown by Resource type and Location - Analyze emissions based on Azure resource type and location to identify major emitters and opportunities for reduction.
  • Top reduction opportunities (available in the Subscriptions view only) - View recommendations for emissions reduction based on your resource utilization. Select a recommendation to navigate to the relevant resource page for implementation. For more information about recommendations, see Reduce your carbon emissions in Azure.
  • Emissions Equivalents - Select View emissions Equivalents under Total carbon emissions to see real-world comparisons, based on the EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.
    Here's an example image of the emissions equivalents: A screenshot showing the emissions equivalent information.

Emissions details

Gain deeper insights into emissions across your Azure resources and identify key areas for optimization. Select Emissions Details in the navigation panel.

Here's an example image of the emissions details page:

A screenshot showing the emissions details page.

The Emission Details page has the following areas:

  • Breakdown by Categories - View emissions data organized by supported categories for the selected view. In the Subscriptions view, use Subscription, Resource Group, Resource, Resource Type, and Location. In the Billing Accounts view, emissions data is shown by subscription, resource type, and location. Use the Subscriptions view for resource group or resource-level details.
  • Monthly change tracking - Compare the latest month’s emissions with the previous month to monitor trends and identify major shifts every month.
  • Sorting - Select column headings to sort emissions data, such as sorting by Change to highlight the largest month-over-month variations.
  • Filtering - Refine data using Subscriptions, Resource group, Resource type, and location filters to further slice and dice the data.
  • Data Export - Download emissions data as a CSV file by selecting Export to CSV at the top of the page. For more information about exporting data, see Export emissions data.

Key use cases

  • Identify top emissions contributors.
  • Detect significant month-over-month changes in emissions.
  • Audit and decommission unused or redundant resources.
  • Compare emissions across different subscriptions, resource groups, and resources.
  • Track the impact of operational changes on emissions.
  • Pinpoint emissions hotspots for optimization.
  • Support centralized sustainability reporting by reviewing emissions across all subscriptions under a billing account.

Next steps

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