Microsoft’s recent push to capitalize on artificial intelligence has made it the world’s most valuable company. But according to new figures, that ambition is coming  at the expense of its climate goals. In 2020, the company pledged to be carbon-negative by the end of the decade. Instead, its emissions rose 30% between 2020 and 2023. Microsoft President Brad Smith says the company isn’t giving up on its green goals — and that the good AI can do for the world will outweigh its environmental impact. 

Akshat tells Zero producer Mythili Rao about his conversation with Smith, and how other tech giants will be making similar calculations.

Explore further:
Past episode  with BNEF’s Jenny Chase on how to triple renewable energy by 2030
Past episode with Notre Dame professor Emily Grubert about the possibility of carbon capture
Past episode with Electra CEO Sandeep Nijhawan on making zero emissions steel

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim, Dina Bass, and Alicia Clanton. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

Microsoft’s recent push to capitalize on artificial intelligence has made it the world’s most valuable company. But according to new figures, that ambition is coming  at the expense of its climate goals. In 2020, the company pledged to be carbon-negative by the end of the decade. Instead, its emissions rose 30% between 2020 and 2023. Microsoft President Brad Smith says the company isn’t giving up on its green goals — and that the good AI can do for the world will outweigh its environmental impact. 
Akshat tells Zero producer Mythili Rao about his conversation with Smith, and how other tech giants will be making similar calculations.
Explore further:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Past episode  with BNEF’s Jenny Chase on <a href="https://omnystudio.com/p/zero/clips/3429d271-a42e-42fc-9f3b-b0cb017e0b7a">how to triple renewable energy by 2030</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Past episode with Notre Dame professor Emily Grubert <a href="https://omnystudio.com/p/zero/clips/bc43b942-661c-4ef3-b7bd-b0b3012bf6ca">about the possibility of carbon capture</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Past episode with Electra CEO Sandeep Nijhawan <a href="https://omnystudio.com/p/zero/clips/c7f4f445-f688-4dc6-837d-afe900e542b6">on making zero emissions steel</a></li>
</ul>
Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Mythili Rao. Special thanks this week to Kira Bindrim, Dina Bass, and Alicia Clanton. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/green">https://www.bloomberg.com/green</a>.

Zero is about the tactics and technologies taking us to a world of zero emissions. Each week Bloomberg’s award-winning reporter Akshat Rathi talks to the people tackling climate change – a venture capitalist hunting for the best cleantech investment, scientists starting companies, politicians who have successfully created climate laws, and CEOs who have completely transformed their businesses. The road to zero emissions has many paths and everyone’s got an opinion about the best route. Listen in.

Zero: The Climate Race

Zero

Microsoft wanted to be carbon negative. Then it went big on AI

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/82af9664-9d94-4f4d-a6cc-b1780108cc5d/transcript

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