Microsoft demonstrates how AI and Mixed Reality can drive sustainability at Bengaluru summit

Visualising real-time air pollution data using HoloLens (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/Indian Express)

Microsoft shared its goal of attaining carbon-negative, water-positive, and zero-waste status by 2030. To achieve this feat, the company is making additional efforts in the fields of cloud computing and consumer hardware products by reducing plastic in packaging materials and using recycled materials in its products. Besides, the company is also providing services like Microsoft sustainability manager to its cloud users, which can be used to understand and measure the sustainability journey of the entire supply chain in one place.

The Redmond-based software giant also highlighted the importance of building greener software that emits minimal greenhouse gases at its sustainability summit. As an example, Windows 11, version 22H2 is a carbon-aware update, which only instals at a specific time period when emissions are lower in select markets where regional carbon intensity data is available. Similarly, Xbox is also said to be the world’s first carbon-aware gaming console, which downloads or updates games when emissions are at the lowest level.

Microsoft also highlighted that it is continuously working on formulating newer tech solutions to reduce carbon emissions. One such effort is the installation of a smart water plant at its Hyderabad campus, which converts atmospheric humidity into up to 2,000 drinkable water per day.

Additionally, panellists highlighted the importance of technology in achieving sustainability goals and how most companies are now focusing on making their entire supply chains sustainable to meet various ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) goals.