TECHNOLOGY & AI
“We need government leaders , businesses , and civil society working together ”
DR . LAURA-MARIE TÖPFER CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER FOR WESTERN EUROPE , MICROSOFT
“ Take , for example , the Finnish steelmaker Outokumpu , a global leader in stainless steel , that used data supported by artificial intelligence to minimise waste and reduce carbon emissions while lowering costs through increased efficiency in production and improving time needed to treat and process steel by 4 %,” says Töpfer . “ Core to this innovative solution was integrating data from across different factories , machines and value chains into one unified data
platform that served as a basis for data-driven and agile decision making .
“ AI has numerous applications that can enhance efficiency , optimise business operations , and provide game-changing breakthroughs to sustainability bottlenecks . AI can help to expedite the integration of renewables onto electric grids , develop energy storage solutions , reduce food waste , foster the creation of high carbon absorbing materials , and enable accurate weather forecasting weeks or even months in advance of current capabilities .”
TS : What views do shareholders hold on sustainability ?
LM : Sustainability is top of mind for every CEO and CFO because it ’ s a big deal for their investors , customers and shareholders . I joined Microsoft from cleantech venture capital and my experience is that investors pay a premium for companies who can offer genuine transparency on how they got
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