Microsoft Chief Sustainability Officer Melanie Nakagawa confronted a barrage of pointed questions from the viewers Friday throughout a session on the annual Pacific Northwest Local weather Week in Seattle.
Protesters challenged Nakagawa by way of many of the 30-minute session held in a convention room at Seattle’s Metropolis Corridor, calling out the corporate’s use of fossil gas power sources to energy its AI information facilities and difficult Microsoft’s dedication to local weather objectives set years in the past.
As a reporter overlaying sustainability points for GeekWire, I moderated the session. Most of the points raised by the group have been on my record of questions for Nakagawa. The disruptions additionally included chants from protesters seated amongst attendees, at instances going past local weather points to sentence Microsoft’s know-how offers with Israel.
Safety guards in the end ushered some protesters out of the house, whereas others remained. Interruptions from the viewers continued for all however the last 10 minutes of the session.
The occasion capped off Pacific Northwest Local weather Week, which included conversations across the metropolis and area about local weather change options, insurance policies and improvements.
Microsoft has for a few years been considered as an environmental company chief, setting an bold purpose in 2020 to turn into carbon unfavourable inside a decade. It created an inside carbon tax — one of many company world’s largest — that costs particular person Microsoft divisions for emissions from sources like air journey to fund climate-friendly initiatives. The corporate is credited with serving to create and maintain the carbon dioxide removing sector, amongst different roles.
However the fast enlargement of AI information facilities and their enormous power calls for are undercutting Microsoft’s standing. The corporate just lately launched its annual sustainability report, disclosing that its carbon footprint grew 25% final 12 months, shifting it farther from its 2030 goal.
One protester’s query was a few deal introduced earlier this 12 months wherein Microsoft is partnering with Chevron to construct a 2.7 gigawatt pure fuel facility to energy an information heart campus in Texas. I requested Nakagawa how the corporate defends the settlement, and she or he pointed to the 4.7 gigawatts of renewable power that Microsoft has supported within the state. I adopted up by asking in regards to the Redmond, Wash.-based firm’s dedication to carbon dioxide removing (CDR) tasks given latest reviews a few pause on new offers.
Nakagawa was unable to reply earlier than the group drowned her out with a call-and-response chant: “Microsoft, you may’t conceal. We are able to see your soiled facet.”
One other protester criticized the escalating pursuit of AI. “You’re promoting us a product that we don’t even want, and we by no means ought to ask for,” he stated. “Nobody needs AI. You’re destroying the local weather with AI.”
I introduced up laws proposed earlier this 12 months in Washington to mandate clear power use and produce transparency to information heart impacts within the state. Microsoft opposed and helped defeat the invoice, although the corporate says it needs to work with lawmakers to move guidelines subsequent 12 months. I requested what wanted to alter within the laws for Microsoft to assist it.
Nakagawa didn’t present specifics, however famous that this 12 months, for the primary time, the corporate shared facility-level data in its annual report on electrical energy and water use for information facilities worldwide.
“Folks wish to know extra in regards to the information, and we imagine you may have an sincere and candid dialog with transparency and entry to that data and information,” she stated.
Given the apparent public considerations, I requested Nakagawa, “Do you actually actually imagine that by 2030, the corporate can hit that carbon-negative purpose?”
Nakagawa pointed to wide-ranging initiatives which might be beginning to assist curb particular emissions, together with investments to make Xbox units decrease carbon and monetary assist for the latest opening of a manufacturing plant in Moses Lake, Wash., for sustainable aviation gas firm Twelve.
“There are a pair areas the place we’re seeing a variety of promising progress,” she stated. “Look, that is going to be a tough goal. We’ve not been in any respect shying away from the truth that this can be a tough purpose.”
